


To Marry Jane Abott

by Sailorjayde



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Danse is hubby material fr, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Internalized Misogyny, Love, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, if Maxson's dicks not out im out, probably smut, why is the bos filled with so many hot dudes, wife her up mate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2018-10-24 03:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10733187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sailorjayde/pseuds/Sailorjayde
Summary: Here is the writings of me and my play through of fallout 4.





	1. Strontium 19

The stench of Jet hung from her sweat drenched clothes and made her want to puke. Thoughts came in like a whirl of just how bad she had let things get. Blood crusted and sweat stained, the once warm-browned beauty was now a ghost of what she was. Jane Abott’s eyes were sunken in and the dark circles were just enough evidence to conclude she was weak, broken. Jane walked slowly into the training grounds of the BOS compound and dropped to her knees. This was it. This was the end. She was coming to the man she left behind, the man that could no longer bear to look her in the eye. Her knees landed in the slick mud, her hair was matted with filth and her once slender form was hollow, a silhouette of a beaten down woman. The sun beat down on her scalp and she struggled to maintain what was left of her chem abused body. 

“It’s Jane,” a guard said as the clink of several suits of power armor grew close.

“Maxson will want to see this, take her to the bridge,” another suit replied.

“Are you stupid, take her to Cade she needs serious medical attention,” the first suit said. Jane raised a brow in confusion as she looked up to the huge masses of steel standing above her. She raised her hand as she used to, to touch his stubble but her arms were weak, she was weak. Everything began to turn black as she fell face first into the thick mud, unconscious.

Jane woke up to the sounds of men trying to keep their voices to a whisper so it all just sounded like a mess of voices. She couldn’t pick any of them out, though she knew it was childish of her to hope for the one. She opened her eyes and bright light immediately bombarded her to which she quickly closed them. Another try as she slowly opened her eyes to barely slits, then open. She assessed that she was in the medical observation room inside the Prydwen. A look to her side showed Cade discussing something with, was it? She leaned further to observe the tall dark haired man. No. It was Maxson. The flush of emotion hit her like a wave. The loneliness in a ship full of people, the yearn for him to kiss her and hold her. The way he would move the dark strand that always fell in her eyes. She needed him, without him in this world she had nothing solid, no ground to lay her feet on. Jane had not let herself think on it. On what she had done. 

Another figure entered the room and found its way to the other two, also discussing in an audible whisper. 

“Danse,” she said, unaware she had said it allowed. All three figures turned to face her.

“Jane.”  
______________________________________________________________________________

Jazz lights illuminated the carnival as Nate Abott flung himself in a goofy manner to impress her.  
“Nate Abott how do you propose to woo a woman if you dance like an injured monkey,” she laughed trying to conceal her amusement.

“Jane Darcy I do suppose I would look better dancing with you,” he cockily said continuing to jerk his head around to the music playing. She couldn’t contain it any longer as she burst out in laughter, spit spraying out as she failed miserably in her attempt to hold it in. 

“Well say it don’t spray it sunshine, a simple yes will do,” he laughed as he snatched her hand and pulled her in. The music made her feel like she was floating as she danced fast with Nate Abott. The singer's voice carried her off and Nate’s arms flew across the dance floor under the carnival shelter. Bright lights blurred as she spinned and spinned and spinned. As the music got faster she moved her hands left and right and jumped around with Nate Abott. Before she knew it the music slowly faded and it seemed like time had slowed, she looked into the tall dark haired Nate Abott's copper eyes and moved closer to him. Nate Abott, the town goofball, the fresh apple and sunshine smelling boy. She moved in so close she could smell the funnel cake he had eaten previously. Nate closed his eyes and leaned in to Jane.

“Well look at the time! It’s nearly midnight and my father was expecting me hope at twelve-O-five and no later,” She giggled as she pulled away from his grasp and burst out into a sprint in the direction of her home.

“Jane Darcy!” Nate shouted after her. “One day i’m gonna marry you!” he shouted even louder as she made her way to the end of the street.

She stopped and turned back to him, “We’ll just have to see won’t we,” she shouted back at Nate.

“Jane Abott has a nice ring to it don’t ya think,” Nate says. She giggled and turned back to her run home even though she lived just down the block.


	2. Idealistic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paladin Danse can rub my feet while Maxson serves me lemonade iced baby

“Jane,” it was a faint hope but it passed through the air seamlessly to find her. Jane couldn’t explain how much she had missed that calm face or those inquisitive eyes. Danse made his sturdy figure over to her and all the sternness left in his face dissipated when he made eye contact with her. Without thinking she offered her hand out to him and he took it. The electric shock she received from feeling his rough calloused hands made her warm inside, she was electric. Her solid ground had been brought back to her feet. She felt like she was 16 again, suddenly curious if she looked as beaten down as she felt. She cautiously patted down her greasy hair and swayed it to the side with her free hand.

“Hey,” she offered. It was nothing short of unimpressive to their last meet up but none the less Danse raised a brow and offered a smile. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. 

Maxson followed by Cade walked over to her hospital bed. Danse immediately retracted his hand to his side and corrected his posture, changing his gaze to far off in the distance. The air between the three seemed frigid and almost had stopped time completely. She noticed how when Maxson stood he was uneasy next to Danse, both trying to stand taller than the other. It seemed almost comical to her that both men stared off into the same direction.

“Knight, in light of your absence and unexcused vacation, it has been decided that you will be demoted to the position of initiate and will be directed to janitorial duties until further matters have been discussed,” Maxson said emotionless also failing to meet her eyes. This was it, the punishment she was waiting for. All the walls she had built up had been shattered as if made of glass. He was getting back at her no doubt, she had played and he had won. Her hand once warm from Danse’s touch was now cold, almost unforgiving. 

“Maxson, you know.” A side look from Danse cut her off.

“Danse, I will have you report to the main deck at sunrise to discuss your next mission.” Maxson refused to meet her stare, refused to admit what they had done. 

“Yes sir,” Danse says, emotionless to the cause. 

That was it, the end. What had she been thinking? To come back to the men she had let ruin her. The pale light that shon on the infirmary’s ceiling was buzzing. She wondered how long it had been softly humming from its electrical wiring. The men all retreated back to which they had came and she was alone again. She closed her eyes and thought of all she had lost. It hit her again like a shot to the heart. Nate. 

Jane couldn’t stop the tears from welling up from under her closed eyes. What would he say to her if he could she her now? What did she think of herself now? Once upon a time Jane had thought herself to be strong and independent.

“Lay that pistol down babe, ohh lay that pistol down. Pistole packin’ momma lay that pistole down,” Nate would sing to her when she had gotten angry and always got the stupidest grin on his face afterwards. Every time he did it she got even more mad, but it was something about that sunshine fresh appled boy. He always knew what to say when she felt lost, angry, or afraid. Something about that Nathaniel Abott that made her feel weak in the knees. His eyes always shined when he knew had gotten her. It seems like ages ago since the last time he sang that stupid tune to her. It only struck her now that it had been, Nate hadn’t sung that tune in over two hundred years. 

Jane brought herself into a sitting position on her bed and hugged her knees. What did she do? She wept. What for? She cried for Nate, for how they had to part ways, for how he always got dirt on his shirt when he would mow the yard, how Nate somehow manage to burn himself every time he grilled burgers under the sun, but mostly how when she left for work he’d always say.

“Well I’ma gonna miss ya plain Jane.” 

Such a stupid thing to say to his wife, but everyday he said it she couldn’t help but smile. Nothing about Nate had been attractive to her, not at first. The way he always seemed too small for his strong body or the way he always seemed to have this addiction to danger. All Nate Abott was, was danger. But somehow when he told her he was going off to war she couldn’t help but love him more. Her Nate. Her steady ground. Her sense. The sense of doing things in rhythm and tucking her baby to sleep after long walks with Nate always making it his goal to make her laugh until her stomach hurt.  
___________________________________________________________________

When it had seemed like the whole ship was asleep save for the engine humming along to its rhythmic tune, she carried herself over to her footlocker and changed into her fatigues. A sweater that hugged her breasts and pants standard for wear. With her boots tied she headed for his room. The room that sat in the same place the last time she had been there. Its tall metallic frame stood haunting over her, taunting her. The creaking of the Prydwen as it moved reminded her that she had been standing there, staring at the door. She knew better than to knock so she opened the door slightly and entered the dimly lit room. There he was, sitting at the foot of his bed, waiting for her, the same mistake replaying in both of their heads. 

There was cold air between the two as the same swaying of the ship moved the floor beneath them. The war had begun and she wasn’t going to lose, not again. She moved closer and his figure came into better view. His same cold hearted grin made her skin crawl. He seemed like a monster lurking in the dark, his teeth illuminating his intention. There was nothing between them but a battlefield. Every step made was an act of war, every movement had to be watched closely for cracks in armor, places to sink in the knife.

“What do you want, initiate?” He said in a mocking tone.

“A favor.”

She knew this would intrigue him, make him lower his guard. Maybe just a second was enough. 

“What favor?” He knew better but he asked anyway. She moved almost snake like towards him, her body loose, touchable, the way her clothes hung from her unirradiated body. She wasn’t like the other ones, she knew she had leverage. All of his other sluts were from this time, clung to with scars, bullet holed and radiation burned.

“Maxson, put me with Danse on his next mission,” she whispered in his ear as she leaned closer to him. She met his lips with a soft kiss. Not enough, he needed more. The ghosts caused him to move into her, his body aching for her. Rough hands moved faster to her hair in a shocking grip. He began to kiss her harshly, not like the soft kisses once given to her by another man, a man in power armor. She had lost control. She pulled away and shook her head slightly, in a teasing manner, placing both her hands flat palmed on his chest as she pushed him onto his back and then straddled him. He couldn't lie, her body was calling to him, moving back and forth pulling him in close. Maxson couldn’t let her. He fought back pushing her off of him then getting on top of her pinning her hands to the bed sheet.

“You’re not the one giving orders,” he spat back as he dove in, kissing her with his tongue reaching the roof of her mouth. Their kiss was misplaced, meant for different people. They both pressed into the kiss with their tongues tieing around each other. There was no time for breathing, this wasn’t loving kisses this was hungry. He released his hands from pinning hers and brought them to her her waist, pressing his finger deeper into her sides. 

“Maxson.” She moaned his name. He had her right where he wanted her. He leaned back struggling to breath after every kiss as he pulled her shirt off revealing her bra. Jackpot. Jane offered no resistance as her body caved into his. They moved together like curves in a painting. She was in deep, too deep, he was in control and she couldn’t think anymore as he slid his hands under her bra strap working his way to her back to finger the clasp. She couldn’t let that happen, but his kisses worked their way to her neck sucking, leaving behind traces she didn’t want. Didn’t need. Using all her strength she forced him down on the bed. Releasing herself from his grasp, his kisses. 

She had to think fast or she was going to lose this, she had to fight for him, fight for her chance to be loved to be happy. Slowly she slid off her bra, her dainty flesh, her pale breast perking up from the touch of cold air. Maxson unconsciously moved to touch them hungrily but she stopped him. This was it, control. Now back on top of him she had the advantage. He was thinking with his dick, not his brain. Now that’s how you win wars kids. 

“What do you want?” He wouldn’t meet her gaze, his eyes focused on the way her chest moved in and out after every breath. How soft and pink her nipples looked and how they were hard, they were aching to be touched he could tell. He dug his fingers back into her waist and she let out a soft moan. She faltered but gained footage again. “Maxson, what do you want.” He had to answer this time, she had him canting. 

“Jane,” he said as his voice came close to ruining the tension.

“Shhh, shhh,” she placed a finger to his lips and brought his hands from her waist to her breasts. He began massaging them, moving them in his hands, malleable and soft. Plush pillows beckoning him to suck on them he grabbed them tighter and moved his mouth close. But then she held his hands again, pushing him back. Control.

“Jane,” he said again this time more awake. “No,” he shouted as he pushed her off. She cried out as her head hit his dresser and the cold floor touched her body, unready for the impact as her side slammed against the metal flooring.

“Put me with Danse,” she cried out. She couldn’t stop it, couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “Please,” a shitty attempt but she was heart broken, barren. 

“You will return to janitorial duties as I instructed previously.”

“Maxson,” she cried out.

“You will not go out with Danse and you will never leave this base again,” he shouted. His face was red with rage, she had done it. No. He had done it, he saw her face crumple. The edges of defeat crossing her exposed body, her once strong demeanor perished. Another battle one. He began to stand, the glow of victory embraced him.

“You don’t own me Maxson,” she fired back, the edges of defeat had faded before him. She stood stronger than him, bigger than him. He had not won, she still had her secret weapon he had forgotten she had. He loved her.

“Initiate.”

“Fuck off,” she spat, clearly disgusted at his attempt. “You sure as hell don’t own me Maxson and I’m leaving with Danse at sunrise... Or you’ll just have to kill me.” She looked him dead in the eyes, there was no corner safe for him to hide, no place to retreat. Jane, once his Jane. Danse had taken her, she was now Danse’s Jane.

Jane picked her clothing from where they had be tossed aside and she stood, taller than before entering. Game over. She stormed out of the room clutching her sweater and bra. The room was now empty. The shadows that had previously been dancing on the sides of the walls had fallen asleep. The Prydwen’s engine now clearly audible he was at a loss. Once there had been days of them being equals, of her returning to him after a mission out in the wasteland with a flash of white teeth and a bounce of that luscious black hair, deathclaw teeth in each hand. Her coming back to his quarters daily, her down on her knees begging for it. There were ghosts in the room, every night he slept here. But that slut didn’t really want him did she. She played him and he let her willingly. 

He stood and shut the door. He was in charge, he had the power. He was fucking elder. And he was going to make sure she knew it too.


	3. A look back, A step forward

The sound of clicking became continuously annoying in Jane’s ear. She had been standing on the Prydwen deck beside Danse at sunrise whilst Maxson paced. Every time he seemed to stop the ever persisting clicking of the golden lighter lid being flipped open and closed, he would glance in the direction of where she stood; Maxson quickly corrected himself and continued his death march. The sun was beginning to rise and the irradiated birds began to wake, even though they were too far up to see their cries they could be heard below. The Prydwen was awake at this point, men and women in their military fatigues repairing their power armor, running drills, and preparing for the day ahead. The silence in the room, besides the clicking, was making everyone more anxious after every time the lid was snapped shut. Danse broke the silence.

“Orders, elder.” It came out emotionless as usual and Jane wanted more than ever to bury her face in his neck and canter. Danse showed no recognition to her presence next to him. In the morning before he woke, he had found Jane crying in her bed. He had comforted her. The smell of power armor and strong after shave. All memories of the morning was gone. He was a statue and he always would be. It would take a miracle to have him stand up to Maxson; the whole room knew it. Jane wished she could cower behind him, but that’s not who Danse was. Danse was a soldier first; all he could offer her was a solid wall separating the two. 

Jane was unsettled with the silence. This was a stupid idea nonetheless, she was persistent. It hurt her to see Maxson like this, things seemed miles between them. The fear of not knowing what he was thinking, a war that never ended. Maybe she would never win. She shifted her weight and looked past Maxson to the outside sky. The distinct humming of the engines below was persistent, something to fill the silence. A side eye at Danse could tell he too was well aware of the conflict between the two. She couldn’t see much of his face because he stood taller than her in his suit of power armor. The heavy suit of metal only words could cut through. He kept his facial expression blank and looked forward past Maxson to the window as she had. 

“Danse, you will be sent out to the Med-Tek facility to acquire a cure located within the building. Files also referring to medical advances usable by the brotherhood can be found underground, speak to Knight Captain Cade for further instruction on what exactly we need. Initiate Abott will follow you shortly.” He turned to face Jane. “Initiate, if we can speak privately.” Maxson instructed, pronouncing every word distinctly. Jane was immediately struck with confusion and frustration. Speak with her? Privately? He just wouldn’t quit would he. Maxson could never let her go, she was done with it. There must be a way out of this.

“I'm sure anything you want to say to me, you can say to Danse,” she pushed. Danse shot her a look of uncertainty, he would not back her up this time. This was Maxson. He stood even more stiff than before, a soldier’s stance.

“Will only take a moment,” he nodded to Danse as a sign to take his leave. Danse gave Jane one more look but did not fight his elder. He retreated through the open door of the Prydwen deck and then it was just the two of them. Jane immediately missed his presence. Without him there Maxson could speak freely she knew and she feared him. It was that feeling again. The feeling of being hunted by wandering eyes, she met him head on, hoping that he couldn’t see through her facade. Taking a moment to grasp the situation she gathered all aspects of his face, his demeanor. He looked pissed, not a good sign. 

“Jane.” She turned her head. Her name. This was a weird turn from the usual hostility of spitting out her rank. 

“Maxson.” Jane stood her ground and Maxson did not step back either, but took a step closer. The space between them was closing and the background noise fell silent. 

“So, you’re going through with this?” Maxson loosened, no need to play all of his cards yet. Jane could smack him he was so close. He didn’t seem worried, but calm and pressing.

“I need Danse.”

“Bullshit Jane, leave Danse out of this. You think because I’m letting you go with Danse that everything is forgotten? Come one Jane, don’t be stupid,” he sneered. She did not know where this was going, nor where it had began. Something about his strong presence, his hard hands and progressive stare always led her back to these positions. She wondered if he had a pull on her. A recurring question she knew the answer to. 

“Maxson, just because you have this stupid crush on me doesn't mean we were something and you know I could walk out whenever I want. That’s just how it is.” She hoped he saw her as confident, however she felt weak. She was lying to herself she knew, his blue eyes punctured her, leaving holes. He was attractive, he lured her in like a drug. If he knew his power he would pounce, but he remained in the same laid back pissed off position. A Dominant complex that pulled her in, she couldn’t keep this up. 

“Tread lightly, initiate.” There was that word again, she had miss-stepped. “I’ll put up with this behavior for now, but if you think you’re in control, that you run the show. You’ll end up dead fast in the commonwealth,” he took a step closer, the space between them almost nothing. “I took you in, you were a weak chem abusing skeleton of a woman, you were nothing.” That was it, she had enough. The magnetic attraction between the two was polar. The firefight between the two was exiting, bringing chills to her body.

“How dare you,” she spat back. Maxson’s face turned up a smile. “I may have came to you needing help, but it’s different now, I’m different. You act like you know.” She was interrupted by a cold metal object being placed on her hand; a golden lighter engraved N Abott. She looked down at the small object. She’d hated when Nate had brought that home one evening. That night he reeked of cigarette smoke. Every time the stench of ash came into contact with her nose Jane felt the need to puke. Now the source of the problem was held lightly in her hand. Something so small that could cause endless fights.

“I’ll expect you back within a week; any longer. Don’t come back.” Maxson brushed passed her making sure to add force that made her stumble back. Nate’s lighter. She was hit with a million questions. How did he find this? How did he know? Most importantly, why had he given it back?

____________________________________________________________________

“Some have argued that the Tibutu tribe know nothing about the concept of private property because the Tibutu do not have in their dialect any word or phrase that appears to capture the concept. But this is pure nonsense. A person who drinks water and uses it for bathing surely knows what water is, even if that person has no word for it. Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?” Nate said.

“Hmm, one need not have a word or phrase for water before knowing what water is.” Jane said confidently; she had this test in the bag.

“Correct Mrs. Abott.” Nate leaned down to the couch and kissed her. “But one question. What the fuck is a Tibutu?” He snickered as he pulled away from the kiss. Jane rolled her eyes and pulled him back on top of her. He let out an exhausted sigh and nestled his head in the corner of her neck as he laid on top of her and let the test questions slide onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around him and placed her hand on his head, softly messing with his curly brown hair. His light breathing and the slow rise and fall of his back calmed her. 

“Be careful,” she said laughed as Nate moved to the side a bit to allow room for the little bump of her stomach to be exposed. “Don’t want to suffocate him before he’s even born.”

“Or she,” Nate softly said as he kissed her lightly. He moved his hand to rub her stomach as he had done so many times before. The callouses on his hand added texture to her skin and made her lean back and relax. The familiar way the tough skin felt was something like home. He moved to kiss her stomach, while she played with his hair. The two had spent all day preparing for her final exam and both seemed beat. She had gotten them all right; a lot of long nights prepared her for this. 

The sun was beginning to take its long rest and the sound of light Jazz music could be heard from next door. The weight of both Nate and Jane Abott sunk them deep into the comfy red couch Nate had mooched from his parents. Nate sank back into his normal position of burying his head on her neck and wrapping his big arms around her. Soon the sound of rhythmic snoring could be heard after every rise of his chest. Jane placed her long fingers on his scalp and separated hairs on his head, brushing out the curls and watching them bounce back. She looked at her hand and the silver ring shined from the light on the ceiling. It had only rested a few days on her hand, but the ring sat like it had been there forever. She turned it around her ring finger a few times to see the light reflect off of it.

Nate had come home from the work force grinning from ear to ear. She could hear him humming a tune when he walked in their small house in Sanctuary Hills. An almost unbearable hot day in summer, it had seemed everyone around was so beat by the heat. Jane had slaved over spaghetti and meatballs all afternoon, Nate’s favorite. Jane knew something was up from the beginning. One thing important to note about Nate Abott is that he cannot keep a secret for his life. Not even a minute into the dinner, Nate felt it best to pop the special question. He made a big show out of it as he got down on one knee, spaghetti sauce on the side of his mouth and said, “Plain Jane, I just can’t imagine my life without you. You make me who I am today, the happiest man in the world I might add and I don’t ever want to remember the feeling of trying to court the most stubborn woman in the state of Massachusetts. I mean it only took me about twenty times of asking you to dinner before you said yes.” That comment made her laugh. “Will you make me the luckiest man in the world and be my wife?” Jane sat in her chair holding in a smile with a mouthful of meatball. She couldn’t help but laugh. How very Nate Abott. Proposing to her with sauce on his face and a shine in his heart. He couldn’t afford an expensive ring, nor a box to put it in; somehow it was enough. Her fresh apple and sunshine boy. Nothing in the world could be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think. I don't want to focus on Nate, but I find myself going back to their relationship. I do agree that Nate is a big part of her life, however I think for the next chapters to follow I will focus of her relationship with Danse which I've been ignoring and Maxson which I give a lot of time to. Maybe it's best to bid Nate a simply goodbye. For now at least.


	4. Med-Tek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of descriptions, as you read you may tell I got tired real quick of how big the facility is. More importantly, Jane and Danse time!

The vertibird’s wings began rapidly whirling as it lifted Danse and Jane off of the Prydwen’s docking bay and hurled them into the great sky over the commonwealth. Paying no mind to Danse; Jane looked over the ruin that was once her home. On their flight over she could see endless buildings, forever parked cars, and broken bridges. She took the lighter she has been holding onto for several hours during preparation for their mission. She moved her thumb across the engraving. It was time to let him go. She kissed it, leaving a smudge on its smooth surface and tossed it out of the side of the vertibird. She couldn’t see it once it was out of her grasp. Imagining the clink of metal as it hit the pavement, bursting into a thousand pieces. When it breaks, she is released. Nate had no hold on her, she was no longer to be haunted by ghosts who needed to stay dead. She turned to her pip-boy; the dim green light fluttered on and she turned on Diamond City Radio. The soft hum reminded her of a peaceful time when she had a future to look forward to. Looking to her side sat Danse; a future. Looking past him at ruin with the sound of the vertibird drowning out the song being played. Danse said nothing and looked forward. His brown eyes seemed to be searching for something Jane was sure he wouldn’t be able to find. 

When the vertibird landed over the Med-Tek facility Danse shook Jane and woke her from a dream to a nightmare. Danse, having already been suited in his power armor, jumped off of the bird to scout ahead while Jane picked up her own armor she had made from different parts across the commonwealth and finally her BOS captain hat she had received before being de-ranked. She picked up her radium rifle and waited for the bird to drop so he could land and follow Danse. She hopped out of the side while her feet hit the dirt with a light crunch from the grass below. She began walking her way to the hulking mass of rusted steel that was once the revolutionary Med-Tek. The dark night illuminated the building, making it look monstrous. The building sat big with metal fencing surrounding the opening of the facility and a large green fountain that sat in the middle of the sidewalk like an island of pavement in the middle of the road, just ahead of the rusted shut green double doors. Jane crouched her way past a mint green car and tried to make out the building’s shape, perhaps a quicker way in. There was a green awning above the entrance with an orange stripe across it. The metal beast was a faded steel with two wings, the left contains a large antenna and the right held a ventilation release. No way in but the front doors. 

Non noticeably Jane had changed from her crouched position to survey the landscape when she bumped into the parked car. Within moments loud growling could be heard from below. Jane stepped back a few paces and turned on the light from her pip-boy. Aiming her radium rifle at the car, a mass crawled out from underneath. Its skin was decayed and gray, flesh peeling from its corpse. Its eyes glowed in the dark of night and its rotted teeth were yellowed, a few missing. A ratted dress clung to its morphed body as it was little larger than human size. The cloth was shredded baring its grotesque breasts. The putrid smell clung to its irradiated body, a feral. The monster hurled itself at her with force. She aimed her rifle at the beast and time slowed. She picked its arm to shoot and then once in its head. Closing one eye the beast moved in slow motion as one shot rang out taking its left arm off of its body causing the ghoul's body to jump back. Another shot in the head and the body crumpled onto the ground; Dead. 

The heavy sound of power armor came came closer as Danse made his way to her.

“The only entrance is the front doors. There is three floors in total with an upstairs and a basement where the experiments took place. The data we are looking for should be down there. Be careful, there is also multiple feral ghouls lurking in the area,” Danse reported. He looked down at the bloody mess that scattered the side of the car and gave her a nod. She also saw a slight smile when he turned away from her to walk towards the double doors; Jane followed in his metal footsteps. 

“On three,” Danse ordered Jane as they both stood on each door. “One, two, three.” They both pushed against the rusted doors and with combined forced they managed to open them and braced for a fight. They were greeted with a receptionist desk right in the front entrance. A blue bulletin board hung behind the receptionist desk which held a computer and a green fan. A large white rusted sign that said ‘MED TEK RESEARCH’ was hung on the wall behind and above the desk. Right above the sign was a large clock that had stopped working. Trash littered the floor with fallen chairs and broken tables laying on their sides. What seemed most odd from the entrance was four large metallic statues of women that clung to the sides of the walls; two on each side. They seemed glorious and out of place. Jane walked closer to one of the statues and took in its features. The woman held out two hands and was expressionless. After years of no upkeep the statue still shined, save for the rust that had accumulated. The women had on a what seemed like maiden battle armor and two metal rings that were above her head. 

“Soldier, this way.” Danse’s voice awoke her from her day-dream and she turned from the statue to follow his lead as he lead her past the receptionist desk to the room, cleverly nestled behind it. The walls were a rusted and striped beige on brown. A circular barred window was on the right side of the wall that revealed a sealed off room, inaccessible. However the data was downstairs and the room contained nothing useful. It would be locked away forever, no one was to walk its floors again. 

The main sight of the room was two large windows that showed off an air locked room. “According to the building layout the basement is this way,” Danse said. He walked up to the terminal on the wall and began pressing keys. “The staff of this facility locked the main entrance to the labs. To enter we must find the main computer and override the lock.” Jane nodded and turned around to find a narrow hallway on the opposite wall. With no other option she headed down the hallway cautiously watching her step to avoid a fallen ashtray and garbage that littered the rusted hallway. Entering the room that the hallway led to, a feral ghoul fell from the ceiling and before she could react laser shots rang out behind her pelting the ghoul into ash before her. Side stepping from the fallen corpse, an opening at the end of the room revealed a stair case. On the staircase was a blue basket that had fallen on its side that contained an aluminum can and a tin can falling out of it. Jane walked up the stairs to the second floor. Rows of large rusted and broken computers sat like ghosts in the room. As soon as she entered the room with Danse in toe; feral howling could be heard from the railing above that was located at the top of the room, full of offices. Danse and Jane picked off their targets as the feral ghouls lunged themselves at the pair. Once the room fell silent again, the two walked towards fallen paneling that had broken off of the balcony providing a proxy staircase to the offices above, making sure to avoid the gaping holes on the floor. Before walking on the paneling to the upper balcony something laying on a computer desk caught her eye; it was an ashen teddy bear. She reached out her hand to grab its crusted fur, laying her rifle at her side. The bear was missing an eye and was far from cuddly, but something about it pulled her in. 

“Jane.” Broken from the spell the bear had placed on her she turned to see Danse looking at her, concerned. He stood at the bottom of the paneling waiting for her to follow. “The override computer should be in one of these offices above,” Danse said awkwardly, but you could tell he was trying to get her back on mission, a sort of comfort only a soldier could provide. Setting the bear back onto its desk, Jane gathered herself and made her way up the paneling. Danse following her smaller clinking of armor. Three more ghouls appeared from the offices above and they took them out quick and quiet, muffling the growling. Making their way across the offices to another balcony, this one above the main entrance, Jane went to push the elevator door but the door was Jammed. Continuing down the path to a final office, three more monsters were slaughtered. Danse walked up to the computer on the desk and typed in an access to override the airlock. “That should do it.”

Walking back the way they came, they finally were back to the airlock door. Danse returned to the previous terminal and opened the airlock door. Moving further into the labyrinth of Med-Tek, the pair followed the breadcrumb trail, killing ferals that fell into their path. Jane stopped at a series of locked cages that held ferals banging against the bulletproof glass. Stained blood was smeared against the glass and the hands of the ghouls trapped inside were merely bone from years of banging against the glass. The ferals continued growling and banging against the glass.

“How awful,” Jane remarked. “Med-Tek locked these people here against their will to be tortured and tested on.” The injustice put upon these people shocked her. People being promised a safe place only to be lead to torture, fear.

“A prime example of science taking liberties and cutting corners to achieve small victories at great cost.” Danse shook his head and too watched the trapped and brainless feral throw itself against the glass. Its body showing no remembrance of the person it used to hold. 

“Fucked up.” Danse looked at her first with shock, then nodded. Although it was unspoken, the two both seemed to mourn for the trapped ghoul. Danse put a metal hand on her shoulder and signaled for them to continue. Danse moved deeper into the confines of the main lab, focusing on the terminal that locked the main doors of the final laboratory that contained the medicine they came here looking for. Jane leaned behind Danse and looked at the terminal Danse was trying to hack. 

“Try, freedom.”

“Where do you see freedom?”

“”Bottom left.”

“Bottom left? That does not help me. Which row?”

“The bottom left, Danse.” Danse clicked on the word ‘freedom’ and the computer unlocked, allowing him to release the mag locks holding the door shut. The pressure sound of the mag locks pulling apart and the doors sliding open revealed rows of tables containing beakers and hot lamps. On one of the tables sat a red vial, the data needed. Jane walked over to the medicine to grab it when something, someone, appeared out of the corner of her eye. “Danse!”

“Well well, doesn’t this make my job much easier,” said a man standing at the opening of the lab. He wore a conductor’s hat with two bullets tucked into the strap of his hat. His face was sunken in and he had striking bluish green eyes with a goatee surrounding his smirk. He had on a tan jacket and a green sweater underneath. His jacket had two pieces that hung low behind him, they were ratted. He had a roll of bullets that clung to his left thigh and he held a sniper loosely in his hands. He looked like a man who would do anything, kill anyone to get his way. Danse immediately went in a protective stance over Jane, his huge power armor refusing contact between the man and her. If the man wanted Jane, he would have to go through Danse. 

“Civilian, speak for yourself,” Danse barked.

“It seems your pretty lady friend has what I’m looking for.” He stepped to the side into Jane’s view and offered a wave. She shot him a look. “Just give me the cure and I’ll be on my way. Plus I’m not a synth so technically your Brotherhood of Steel mumbro jumbo doesn’t really apply to me, does it?” The stranger stepped towards Jane and Danse raised his gun.

“You are trespassing on important Brotherhood matters, this medicine could be used to improve the Brotherhood and the well being of the commonwealth.”

“Listen pal,” the man stood firm, raising his sniper at Danse, then at Jane. “I need that cure, non-negotiable. So I ask you easy way or hard way?”

“Civilian, lower your firearm.” Danse was interrupted by the impatient man who now stood, his gun firmly raised at Jane.

“Hard way it is.” Two shots rang out. The ringing of gunfire punctured Jane’s ears, a white noise blocked everything. Danse looked like he was shouting something, but she couldn’t hear him. To be honest she couldn’t hear anything. With all of the glass being flared up and more ferals appearing Jane couldn’t even tell she had been hit. She looked down at her military fatigues to see a pool of red beginning to form right above her stomach. Ferals began flooding into the room. She looked up to see Danse wide eyed. Was he panicked? She brought a hand to where to blood was gaping from and her vision became fuzzy. She reached out her other hand in the direction of Danse. He looked at her then at the ghouls coming near. She couldn’t help as her vision faded to black and she hit the floor. Side note, the floor felt soft.


	5. Atom Bomb Baby

Maxson looked beyond the window of the Prydwen deck and waited. It had been nearly a week since Jane and Danse had set out to Med-Tek. All contact with the pair had been radio silent. Maxson knew that Danse would never stray from mission, but Jane. Jane was a wildcard. She probably convinced Danse to leave with her, probably laughing at Maxson while they made love under candle light. Fucking candle light. That crude commonwealth whore was probably telling Danse every thing he wanted to hear to have him turn on the Brotherhood, on Maxson. He peered over the wide open window as everything looked small, weak under his domain. He knew better than to look for her, but he did. 

“Elder, Paladin Danse arrived on foot. He requested to speak with you immediately.” Scribe Haylen pushed through the double doors gasping for breath. 

“Understood scribe, send him.” He tried to keep his disposition calm as a leader should, but he was shocked. Haylen mentioned Danse, but not Jane. Maybe her plan to convince Danse to leave fell through and she abandoned the Brotherhood, abandoned Maxson. Had his talk with her before she’d left really pushed her to the breaking point? Did she choose to not come back when he had given her the choice? The words he had said to her echoed in the back of his mind. “I’ll expect you back within a week; any longer. Don’t come back.” Her face when the words left his mouth was chilling to his spine. He shook off the feeling as Danse burst through the double doors as out of breath and in a hurry as Haylen. 

“Elder, they’ve got her,” Danse sputtered. The heaving chest of the man in his suit of armor showed that whatever he needed to speak with Maxson about was urgent. Danse looked like a complete mess, his hair was greasy and mucked with blood. His power armor was smeared with entrails and a dark swath of black and red. This man had been through hell to get back. He looked exhausted; it was clear that Danse hadn’t slept in days. Danse’s eyes looked wild and panicked. Jane, usually clung to his hip, was absent. Jane, where was Jane?

“They’ve got who?” Stupid question, but he had to confirm it. He had to make sure that she was taken for sure. That she hadn’t run away from him, that she was alive out there.

“Jane, Elder, they’ve got Jane.” There it was. Her name came in like a sucker punch in the stomach. Danse had returned without her and Danse never left a man behind. For Danse to leave a fellow soldier behind, especially Jane. He knew that Danse loved Jane, he knew from the second that Jane was in the presence of Danse that he had imprinted on her. Doing things that were abnormal for Danse such as watching her late at night when she would go out and shoot targets in the training grounds or hiding his smiling whenever she entered the room. Maxson had noticed all of this because he too watched Jane at night. He too enjoyed her presence, the shock of electricity whenever she entered a room. Maxson brushed off the growing pain in he felt in his stomach and looked at Danse head on. He couldn’t let Danse know just how much he cared. 

“Calm yourself paladin, who has Initiate Abott?” Maxson wondered if his voice came out as concerned as he felt. A tidal wave of possibilities hit him all at once. Jane was in danger because of him. Jane being naked and cut, tied up by her hands; being touched against her will. Jane being gagged and tortured for information on the Brotherhood. He had tried to keep her on the Prydwen, but she had persisted. Fucking stupid Jane. He knew he had pushed her to rebel. He had allowed her to go and now she could be dead. Too many leads, all falling on him as being responsible for this. He should have sent out a recovery unit when they had not responded in two days. It was protocol, but fuck protocol this was Jane. That woman drove him crazy; made him act without thinking. Had he not been so busy holding onto his pride this would have never happened. Danse interrupted his train of thought. 

“A man tied to the band of mercenaries called the Gunners,” Danse replied. The gunners had been nothing but an annoyance to the Brotherhood. They were full of raiders, mercenaries, and their “elite” gunners. Known for common slavery, scavenging, and raids across the commonwealth. The Gunners and the Brotherhood had no serious quarrel unless at points of confrontation. The question stood at what a common mercenary group as the Gunners were doing at Med-Tek. More importantly, what did they want with Jane? Pictures of Jane tied up, bloody and beaten appeared in his mind again. His Jane. If they touched her he would kill every single one of them. The Gunners would be nothing but ash if they so much as hurt a hair on her fucking gorgeous head. 

“We will send out a recovery team immediately to make contact with the Gunners and discuss possible outcomes. I want that team led by you.” If anyone cared more about Jane it was Danse, he hated to admit it, but it was the truth. He couldn’t trust anyone else to get her back alive. “Bring whoever you see best for the mission and take all the requisitions you need.” This was out of character for Maxson. To spare unlimited resources for an initiate. He was desperate. He would not sleep until she was back. Danse seemed pleased, but also concerned of Maxson’s intentions. He nodded and was gone as soon as he had come. Maxson returned back to his perch and looked furiously for Jane, she had to be out there and he was going to find her. 

____________________________________________________________________

“So, the Brotherhood of Steel. Really?” The man sat on a metallic foldable chair, leaned back while his hands fondled the bottle of Gwinnett in his hands. Jane did not look into the face of her captor, instead looking past the bars of her cage over the side of the road. She knew where she was even if she was knocked out from blood loss on her way over. She was on the Mass Pike Interchange. A bunch of raider looking men walked the perimeter of the road making sure to peer over the edges. The base was so far up from the ground that there was only one way up; a yellow mechanical pulley elevator used for washing windows on the sides of tall buildings. The fortress seemed nearly impenetrable. Simply put, she was on walking on eggshells; one misstep and the railing wouldn’t keep her from being pushed off the edge. 

Jane tried to think of what had happened, but she kept drawing blanks. Gunshots, Danse, ferals swarming into the room, and blood pooling at her stomach. She looked down at her tanktop where directly above her waist sat a stain of crimson. She had taken off her harness and over jacket to tie the belt that made the harness just below her ribcage to constrict blood flow to the wound. It had been about three days since she had been shot. An injection site just above the wound showed that her captor had used a stimpack on her a few minutes after impact. The stimpack had done its job, however the bullet still sat resting in her side as when in the process of removal, Jane had woken up and grabbed a pair of scissors sitting on the surgical tray and jammed it into the neck of the remover. She had been in the cage ever since. Lifting the bottom of her tank top to check on the wound, the blood had caked to her tank top making it so that the gaping wound to be sealed with the cloth. One second of trying to separate the two sent fiery shots up her veins causing her to cry out in agony. She sat back on the side of the cage, her face a mirror of pain. Her hand sat idly on her stomach, concealing the fresh blood that was created from her attempt. 

“Look, I can tell you’re in a lot of pain since the bullet is still in there.” He stood up and rubbed his goatee almost apologetic. “Also I’m sorry for having to shoot you. Things aren’t that easy to explain.” He brought out a set of keys from his jacket pocket. “But I am smart enough to say that you are going to die if we don’t get that bullet out.” Jane’s eyes followed him as he put the key into the lock and turned it to the left. The cage made a loud creak when he opened the door slowly and offered out a hand. “The name’s MacCready.” He offered her a smile, she could tell that he was uncomfortable. “Yourself?” Jane stared at him coldly, then scooted further away from the extended hand and glared deep into his eyes. She had the expression of pure hellfire.

“Enlighten me,” she spat at him. She sat up straight, not failing to make eye contact as her hand remained on the gunshot wound. Blood was seeping at an alarming rate revealing blood of the edges of her hand and spreading the area of blood on her tank top. She knew MacCready noticed the hole being reopened as his eyes darted up when he noticed her looking at him. He regained composure and met her eyes again.

He gave her a confused look and raised a brow. “Enlighten you? On what?” He took back his hand while folding his finger over and sat on his toes as he bent down and peered at her with curious eyes. The two seemed not bothered by the patrolling guards that passed by.

“What’s not easy to explain.” She gritted her teeth when she spoke; making sure to hold eye contact with him. “What?” She cocked her head to the side. “Shooting me? Is that hard to explain?” Her words cut deep. She looked at MacCready as he shifted uneasily on his feet and stood up. He took off his hat to reveal sandy hair falling out over his eyes. This small act removed the mask of a raider into a person reminding her of how Nate would take off his hard hat after a day's work. He looked like an actual person, a human. She blinked a few times and MacCready returned to his position in her mind as a crude and heartless raider. He brushed the strands back into place and put his hat back on. He stared at her again with his green eyes and spoke in the most haunting tone.

“This is the way things are. People kill. People lie. People do what they have to, to save themselves and the ones they love.” MacCready‘s eyes turned monstrous, cold. He grabbed the keys and closed the door to the cage harshly, locking and unlocking the door twice. With a final turn of the key to the right Jane’s stomach dropped. The man walked away leaving her alone with her thoughts. Never in her life had she been so helpless. Men walking past gave her hungry glares, touching her breasts with their minds; groping her body in their thoughts. She didn’t have much time before there was nothing separating her and them. She threw her jacket over her tanktop with her free hand, the other protecting her wound and turned to her side; making sure to hide her face as she let out a single tear. It would take a miracle to survive this. She suspected that Danse was alive and that he had time to flee back to the Brotherhood. Although, It all sat with Maxson. Was she worth the resources to try and save? She knew the answer anyway. Maxson would nod at the news of her capture and set Proctor Quinlan on her K.I.A report. That cold-hearted son of a bitch held all the cards. He finally got what he wanted. Jane was going to die on top of the overpass; from blood loss or worse. Maxson probably was holding a special feast in honor of her death. She let out a laugh.

“Congratulations Maxson, you finally won.” She closed her eyes and ignored the pain that was accumulating on her insides. She would need her full strength to survive this. She was not giving up. That’s a fact.


	6. 60 minute man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: smut.

MacCready came back to Jane in the morning and several times after that. She refused to speak with him, to look him in the eye. Only when he returned with two gnarly looking men, one was wearing an eye patch and was covered in the smell of aftershave. The other man had shaggy blonde hair and a scar that traced the edge of his chin. Both were geared up in raider attire and pipe pistoles resting in their holsters at their sides. Jane scooted back to the edge of the cage, fearing what the men might do to her. It was nearly morning and she had failed to get any rest. All evidence of MacCready’s warmness was now ice. He did not bother to acknowledge her as he turned the key to the left and the horrendous screech of the only barrier separating her from the three armed to the teeth sounded.

“No, no, no ,no,” she began to say as eye patch grabbed her by her hair and yanked her out of the cage. She managed to wrap a hand around one of the bars, but was easily pulled off. She fought with every muscle in her body, but her weak system was no match for the strength he held onto her with. Shaggy grabbed her hands behind her back and tied rope around her wrists while she kicked her feet out at eye patch. The man easily subdued her, kicking with one swift crack at her lower leg while immediate sharp pain flowed within her leg. She continued to pull at everything that seemed to restrain her. 

Eye patch grabbed her limp legs while shaggy held her torso. She no longer had use in her left leg, her attempts were useless. She held back tears as she slumped into the arms of the two men. Shaggy now having her arms securely tied behind her back, the two carried her with MacCready following behind them. “Sorry princess,” MacCready offered as knit bag was placed over her head. Jane watched his face disappear; things really could have been different princess.” She offered little struggle to her carriers. She felt the swing of the lift, the groan of the engine bringing them back to the earth and the light she could manage to see from under the bag shifting. She was lifted and placed onto a cart, elbow to elbow with other people. The cart smelled like piss and dirt. Soft crying and murmuring could be heard, but she couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Every now and again a person could be heard crying out for help and it was immediately followed my shouting of the men, a crack, and then silence. The cart lurched forward and hooves in front could be heard against the dirt as they began their descent.

The rocking of the cart and moaning of the other people, shoved against her so she could smell their filth filled her with hopelessness. How was she going to get out of this mess, Maxson surely wouldn’t help. It was that feeling when she first stepped out of the vault and onto the vast land she that used to be her home. She had no one to help her, she couldn’t even save herself. Her time in the wasteland flashed like a movie before her. All the hard times, the memories made, the friends she would never forget. One man that she somehow always found her way back to. He was stubborn, controlling, and brash. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about him now as more memories of them together hit her like a wave; a rush of emotions. Now thinking on it, the only time she had let herself relax in this past year was when he was in her presence. Was she stupid to push him away. Every night spent with Maxson was one night she wasn’t with Nate. She had pushed him away for fear of herself hurting him. In leaving Maxson she had only hurt them both. 

“Maxson.” The name came out of her mouth unconsciously. She said it again to make sure it was real. The solid name, the solid face. “Maxson, please.” The words came out soft as her tears began welling in her eyes. She could feel her heart breaking and her nerves seizing. The pain she felt racked her body. Infection had started to spread up her stomach, leaving behind a red streak on her skin; she had noticed the night before. The thought of death and escape crossed her mind. She knew that she was going to be sold into slavery, more over sex slavery. It didn’t even matter if she returned to the Prydwen. Things between them was nothing more than memories. If she returned to the Brotherhood then it would be the same hell as it was before. There would be no welcoming arms to come back to. The cart rocked on and she fell into the rhythm of the back and forth. A decision was made on that cart, a promise. A promise that she would escape. The cart hit a pothole and shook everyone in the cart, everyone except Jane.

________________________________________________________

Maxson sat on his chair in his private quarters, leaning back while peering over reports of synth activity. He turned to see his door open and Jane slide in almost cat-like. She stood in front of him, covered in a towel; her black silky hair resting on her shoulders. She was beautiful no doubt in Maxson’s mind. Her body was smooth and bared no scars. He had, had other women in his time, but not many. Common initiates that had come and gone, none keeping his full attention. All women of the commonwealth, ones raked with radiation burns, mutated bodies, and scars. Her face was clean, no cheap makeup smeared across her face. She had an oval face with pale skin and soft freckles that lined her nose. The color of her eyes were hazel, they complemented her long eyelashes and their almond shape. All her features were soft, her lips in the shape of a bow. He met her eyes and saw that she too was inspecting him.

“Knight Abott, what are you doing in my quarters,” Maxson said. He kept a serious face and resisted the urge for his eyes to wander. She was only a few feet away from him, but he could feel her heat. She smirked.

“There’s a rumor going around that you have the hottest shower on the Prydwen and I’m so sick of cold showers.” He looked at her intently and gazed down at her body and at the towel that concealed her breasts, but her slender legs were exposed to his view. He wanted her. He wanted those legs wrapped around him while he slammed her against the wall. She noticed his eyes wandering. “May I?” She nodded her head towards the direction of the shower. Maxson remained in a frozen state, unsure of his next move. She waited a few seconds before dropping the towel to the ground, revealing her perky breasts and the curves of her stomach that showed off her hourglass figure. She was hot, taunting him. He felt his dick in his pants stir. She smiled and turned to enter the bathroom, leaving the door open. Maxson couldn’t believe his eyes. He had been watching Jane as soon as she had come into sight. There had been nothing between them but him giving orders and her following them; this had been the most words she had spoken to him at a single time. The sound of the water hitting the bottom of the shower beckoned him to venture further. He could feel his dick getting hard in his pants when he imagined what he might find under the water. 

Maxson stood from his chair and walked towards the bathroom, stopping at the entrance. There she stood under the water. She was turned towards the wall, rubbing her body as the water shined off of her skin. She wanted him, she was begging for it. He slid off his coat and wrestled with the straps of his shirt. He took off his belt with excellent speed and let his pants fall to the floor. The sound of his clothes made her turn and look at Maxson. She moved her whole body to face him all the while water sliding down her breasts and accumulating to droplets on her nipples. Jane brushed her hand through her wet hair, slicking it back. Maxson’s cock was now fully erect, standing stiff in the air. He moved forward to her while his hand grabbed her cheek kissing her. She offered no resistance as his tongue slid into her mouth and moved along with hers. She let out a soft moan as he bit her lip. He grabbed her hair and turned her to face the wall. She moved with him willingly, pressing her boobs against the shower wall. Maxson sucked on her neck while he slid a finger inside. Jane let out another moan when he slid his second finger inside her. She was wet, caving her body into his hand, allowing him easier access to finger her. He moved his fingers slowly in and out, massaging her clit. Maxson leaned against her turning her face with his muscular arms glistening from the water to put his tongue into her mouth, touching the roof. She was breathing heavy as his fingers went deeper and faster into her. He took them out and grabbed his dick. He bent her further against the wall while he guided his cock into her. His dick skin slid into her and she cried out. He moved into her about halfway down his dick before he gently pulled out to his tip, then going in again this time he went deeper. Jane arched her back and moaned his name, forcing him deeper inside of her.

“Maxson.” Jane moaned his name again as he began moving to a rhythm; fucking her against the wall of the shower, water pouring on top of them. Her hands were gripped against the wall as he pushed into her deeper and deeper, until he was balls deep. Maxson grunted as her tight pussy held his dick in place. 

“Fuck,” he grunted as she started moving with him, guiding herself onto him. Her heavy breathing could be heard over the sound of water hitting their bodies. Maxson felt tension building up in his balls. He pulled out completely and stepped back. Jane turned to him, her eyes fell down to his cock. It sat big, bulging at his thighs. He stood straight and guided her hand to him, allowing her to milk his dick softly. He motioned for her to bend down and she did. 

“What do you want me to do?” She teased as she licked her tongue on the side of his dick. His knees wanted to buckle, but he held strong. 

“Suck it,” he ordered her. She nodded and took him into her mouth, placing her tongue on his slit and then moving in to take him deep in her mouth. She began sucking onto his cock hard while he grabbed her hair. He absentmindedly rubbed her hair as she moved him in and out of her mouth. The tension was so strong in his balls that a stream of hot cum shot out of him into her mouth. “Swallow,” he grunted, still rubbing her head. She swallowed his load and licked the rest off of his dick. He let go of her hair while she stood. They both stood inches away from each other, both speechless. He leaned over her shoulder and shut off the hot water. Turning to his room, Jane watched his ass when he moved over to his closet and grabbed a towel. He threw one at Jane and she caught it, then grabbed one for himself. He dragged the towel over his head, then on his abs, finally rubbing each thigh. Maxson glanced over at Jane as she stood and dried herself off. “You can stay here tonight.” His voice broke the silence between them, she looked him in the eyes. “If you want.” 

Jane smiled and nodded her head, finally speaking. “I don’t have any clothes.” Maxson turned back to his closet and grabbed one of his tank tops, tossing it to her. She slid the larger top over herself all the while watching Maxson put on his undergarments. She stood in place watching him dress, perplexed at his form. His excellent body shape, his movements, him. He noticed her watching him and walked over to her once he was fully dressed. He brushed the wet hair that had fallen into her eyes and kissed her. She kissed him back, closing her eyes and savoring it. He pulled away. Maxson shut off the light and laid back onto his bed. Jane walked into the bathroom to fix her hair, she could tell Maxson was waiting for her and watching her ass when he thought she wasn’t looking. Pleased with her result, she reached the bed and laid next to him. She rested her head on his chest and laid an arm around him. Maxson, startled at first, moved his body to accept her and brushed her hair until her breathing slowed to a rhythm and she felt light on his chest. He had never cuddled a woman before, especially a woman like Jane. It wasn’t long before the two fell asleep. 

____________________________________________________________________

Jane awoke alone in Maxson’s bed, it must've be noon since she could hear the crew bustling about. She covered herself in bedsheets and made her way to her bunk, paying no mind to the stares from her fellow brothers and sisters. She thought her days of the walk of shame were over, guess who was wrong. Finally reaching her bunk, Jane dressed quickly and headed down for lunch. Danse sat at their usual spot with two trays, waiting. She approached the table and Danse met her eyes, there was pain in them. She tried to ignore the look anyway and start a conversation.

“Evening Danse, anything important happened while I slept?” She smiled and looked at Danse while he seemed absent minded. She took a bite of food and waited for a reply. Nothing. “Danse?”

Danse turned to her, his face ashen. “Did you spend the night with Maxson?” The question took Jane by surprise. How could he have known? She immediately felt gross, the smell of her sin still clinging to her. The realization of what she had done now sat with her once Danse brought it to light. She didn’t know why she did it or why she wanted it so bad to the point of throwing herself at him. She had slept with Maxson, she had wanted him and she got him. Danse knew and now he would never look at the same. Danse looked at her, he looked betrayed. She couldn’t lose Danse. 

“Where is this coming from?” She looked at him afraid as he seemed to heat up at her reply. 

“Did you spend the night with Maxson, Jane?” She held up her fake smile until he said her name; tears started to form. Danse stared her straight in the eyes, finally confrontational to her. “I went to check on you this morning since you missed breakfast. No one had known where you had gone, it was like you had just disappeared. I got worried so I headed off to Proctor Ingram who said she saw you entering Maxson’s private quarters late last night.” He turned away for a second, failing to meet her gaze; he turned back to her, his expression hurt. He looked at her neck, seeing the evidence left behind by Maxson. He gave her a look of disbelief as he stood from the bench and began walking away. She had no words. It was all she could do to watch him walk off out of sight. She rubbed her neck and then stared back at her food Danse had gotten her, but she had lost her appetite.


	7. The Ink Spots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I choose to believe Rhys is nice, even though let's be real he is an ass. But to be perfectly honest so is Maxson, I digress.

The brahman that had been pulling Jane for the past hour or so came to a startling halt which lunged all of the passengers forward. Jane knocked her head against the wooden side of the cart. Shuffling of larger feet could be heard around the car, but Jane could see nothing. The blazing sun beat down on all of the prisoners who were crammed inside. She was beaten, sores were starting to form on her skin from parts that were exposed to the sun. The rope that had tied her hands behind her back had rubbed against her wrists causing blisters to start to form. The other passengers were crying out softly, whispers of names and promises of survival. Jane kept her mouth shut; instead looking to her wrists, sliding them back and forth to loosen the taut rope. She felt the person sitting next to her get pulled out and thrown of the ground. The thud of several bodies hitting the ground seemed to fill the air, rotten flesh and infected wounds. Rough hands grabbed her shoulders, releasing her from the bag over her head, and picking her up to toss her to the ground. Her field of vision was a blur when she was dropped with teeth-bearing force. The cakey mud pressed into her face as she landed into the muck on the fleshy dirt. She raised her face but was immediately pressed back into the mud as a boot stepped on her back. “How's the filth taste sweetheart?” The voice was not that of soft MacCready, but of commonwealth backwash. As soon as the pressure of the boot was lifted from her back she gasped for air. 

Shaking, she lifted her full body to a sitting position so she was able to see the world around her. All around her could only be described as hell on Earth. Jane had heard of slaver camps along the commonwealth, but had never come across one. Men, women, and children walking and working around like ghosts of their past selves. Each worker had their own task, digging trenches, cleaning barracks, or servicing the raiders to their every desire. The men walking around were despicable, carrying their smug grin and pipe pistoles. From what she could see there was a circular barricade around the edge of the base. There seemed to be guards posted at high points of the railing, surveying the landscape. Trains of slaves carrying shipments of items, assumed to be sold around the commonwealth followed similar patterns. The ground beneath them was nothing but dirt and their makeshift fortress was built out of used tin and scrap metal. Jane, along with the other prisoners were herded into a building underground into a room full of three raiders. Walking in line into another room, each slave was given a job as they entered the room before them.

“Ground work, heavy lifting, you look like a digger don’t ya.” As each person walked into the room past the men, they were all collared and pushed forward. When it finally got to Jane the main raider looked at her up and down. “What a pretty lass, how about you and me get to know each other,” he smirked and looked back at the other raiders who laughed and nodded in approval. Jane spit directly into his face as soon as he turned back to her. She gritted her teeth and expected the beating she was probably going to receive. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this. Being captured into slavery, much less sex slavery. The thought of it brought chills to her spine. Made her rebellious. These men would not have her without a fight. That was for damn sure.

The raider wiped his face with his vacant hand and smacked her in the face. The blow sent her back, the force stinging her cheek. She faced him again, making sure to meet his nasty gaze. “A fighter.” He smacked his lips. “I’m gonna have some fun with you.” He smiled a blood curdling smile and gave her a wink. “Servicing.” The second raider burst into a hyena laugh as he snapped the collar around her neck. The cold metal snatched around her, constricting movement and straining her breath. The red light on the collar lit up red and the main raider motioned for her to be moved on. The third raider pushed her on, making sure to slap her ass as she went. Once every slave had been assigned a position in the compound, they were again herded upstairs to begin. Another girl along with Jane had been assigned to servicing. She was a redheaded and freckled girl, early twenties, with vivid green eyes that wildly scanned the area as she continuously scratched at her arm. Trace marks from continual needle use had scarred the insides of her arms. She was nearly bone thin already, wearing a tight leather corset and patched up khaki pants. A woman approached the two wearing nothing but a sparkly red dress. She held her neck stiff as the collar restricted movement. Her arms were stick thin, bruises lined them. She had heavily applied makeup to her face and her hair was thick and ratted. 

“This way angels.” The woman laughed as her words echoed in Jane’s mind. The woman led Jane and the girl through a rusted building that used to be a police station. The irony of their situation couldn’t help but make Jane giggle inside. None of this was funny to her, but as the three walked deeper into the building and the front door became a distant memory, the hopelessness of her situation finally sunk in. They were in a heavily fortified raider base. The brotherhood would not hash out a full rescue plan to save her, to risk angering a syndicate of raiders that were already deadly on sight. She had even been demoted to initiate, so she was on her own. Even if Danse had made it back to the Prydwen, nothing on this Earth would make Maxson budge. 

They finally reached cell blocks full of other girls, young, bruised, and riddled with the stench of chems. “This is where y’all will be staying, try not to start a fight on the first day.” As soon as she had come, she was gone. The door shut loudly and she was alone in a room full of people. 

“I’m Cait,” the red-headed girl next to her said. Her eyes were a bit more calm than when they first had been outside in the open. She raised her hand out to shake. Jane looked down at her hand; it was dirty and small, but open. “Well are ya gonna shake it or ya just gon sit there and make me wait?” Her rough Irish voice broke the trance Jane was in and she raised her hand as well to shake Cait’s. 

“Jane.” She offered Cait a smile and the two shook hands. 

“Best we find bunks next to each other fore’ there all taken.” She motioned for Jane to follow and they made their way through rows of bunks to find two next to each other in the corner of the room, the last cell to the right. The other girls in the room stared at Jane as she passed, paying no mind to hide their thoughts. 

“Skinny little bitch,” one hissed. “Her pretty little face won't last one night with Winlock.”

“Looks like the brotherhood has been holding out.” 

“Look at her eyes, that look won't last long,” a blonde girl snickered to another. Their eyes picked apart her fears, the facade she was trying to play wasn't working, they could read her like a book. She was terrified and everything they said had some truth to it. She was injured and wouldn’t be able to offer much of a fight if brought to it. She hadn’t been abused or sexually assaulted. Jane had been lucky enough to run into the brotherhood very early out of the vault. Whenever she had been out on the commonwealth it had been in gear and packed with a rifle. Danse was always covering her back, she didn't have to worry about that. 

“Hey, it's gonna be alright. We’ll get through this you and me. Those raiders are gonna regret the day they crossed us.” Cait placed a hand on Jane’s shoulder and gave her a look of certainty. Jane nodded, but Cait’s words more or less bounced off her. The situation grew more bleak in Jane’s eyes as every second passed. She traced her finger nails on the bed sheet, paying no mind to the blood stains. Her slender fingers following the circles of the embroidery as Cait’s eyes watched them. They both fell to silence as the lights shut off and the room fell black.

________________________________________

“So let me get this straight. You want to send a fully loaded battalion to a Gunner’s base, for the rescue of an initiate?” Kells looked at Maxson in disbelief. Maxson had not gotten sleep in two weeks, just constant tossing and turning in the night. Danse had searched the area of Med-Tek for any sign of Jane, but had come out empty handed. Danse had made negotiations with the Gunners to discuss release of Jane, but it had not gone smoothly. They had been useless in any information about her; he was left with nothing. He had noticed the concerned looks from his fellow brothers and sisters, it was completely out of character for him to send a rescue mission for an initiate. He played it off as he was trying to take out the biggest raider force in the commonwealth, but he wasn't convincing. Thoughts of her raked his brain day and night. Somehow this was all his fault, he can still see her bitching to him now. She was stupid, she begged for this. He wasn't trying to save her, no, he was taking out the Gunners. Saving Jane was just a convenient accident. He had no sympathy for someone who wanted to die. He had won the game fair and square, you can't go into a battle without a strategy. She wanted Danse so bad she could have him. “Maxson.”

The voice interrupted his thoughts, Kells looked concerned. “Maybe you should see Cade, you look tired.” Kells took a step further, maybe to get a closer look as his dark circles or maybe to offer a hand; either way Maxson batted him away and Kells nodded and took his leave. Maxson couldn’t keep this up. His body was aching, for what he didn't know. He turned to his speaker box and asked for Scribe Haylen. In a few moments Haylen was cautiously walking through his door. 

“Elder?” Her voice was uncertain, her steps like she was walking on eggshells. 

“Scribe, report on Danse’s status.” He was leaned over the railing of the Prydwen while his eyes were closed. The soft row of the ship kept him balanced as he breathed in fresh air. Thoughts of Jane being taken swam into his brain. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

Maxson grabbed the railing tighter than before. The engine was humming loudly, his thoughts barely audible. The sky out in the commonwealth seemed dimmer than usual. Vertibirds leaving the docking bay, soldiers marches and training exercises on the ground below. A simple peace that was just out of his reach.

 

“Nothing new Elder, his last report being that the Gunners refuse to exchange Initiate Abott.” Maxson nodded and then there was silence. He found his words.

“That will be all.” 

Haylen left quickly and then it was just Maxson and the sound of the engines pumping. A battalion was to be sent to the main base of the Gunners, atop the elevated highway. They would take three vertibirds to the location and fire atop the road and lower down to search and rescue. The Gunners would be nothing but ash for fucking with the brotherhood. He gripped the railing even tighter and then released, letting out the air he had been holding in. 

____________________________________________________________________

Her hair sashayed on her back as she bounced forward with her steps. Her white tank top hugging her breasts and her military pants clinging to her ass. She jogged with him in toe to the fighting ring. Swinging open the gate with speed, she walked to the edge of the ring and turned to face him. “Coming?” Danse looked at her curiously, then opened the gate as well and walked in. 

“Well well we, what do we have here?” Knight Rhys walked over to the edge of the ring and leaned against it. “Princess and Danse? I can’t believe my eyes.” He laughed as he spoke. Danse looked to the side at Rhys and then turned to Jane. She held up her fist and assumed fighting stance, he followed suit. The world around them blurred as he focused down on Jane. Her beautiful face curved in a smirk. He took a defensive stance as they began, moving in a circle while facing each other. Jane made the first move, choosing to strike at his face. Danse quickly pulled up his arms in defense and retaliated with a hit to her side. She blocked it and kicked his lower leg. Danse faked canting while Jane went in to strike another blow. Danse moved his body into her, grabbed her side arm taking her by surprise and rolling her off his back, knocking her to the ground. She gasped for air; quickly Jane wrapped her arms around his leg, knocking him back. He hit the ground on his back hard. Jane rolled forward out of his reach and stood up. Danse stood as well and returned to fighting stance. Jane was smiling wider, her long hair messed up behind her. 

“Oooo princess, making me weak,” Rhys mocked her. 

“You were already weak Rhys. Watching my ass just brought it out in you.” Rhys stepped back, making a hurt expression and grabbing his heart. “You’ve wounded me.” 

“Ohh shut up Rhys,” Scribe Haylen said, now joining the fight. Haylen couldn't help but giggle at the engineer. She perched herself on the bars of the fighting ring and grinned at Jane. “Kick his ass Jane!” 

Jane nodded while smiling at Haylen and returned her focus on Danse. Danse was now smiling too, he couldn’t contain his enjoyment. This time Danse moved to Jane, his brute force smacking at her arms as she held them up in defense. She swiped her leg at Danse’s but he held his stance strong and moved back. They moved again in a circle, shooting death glares at one another. Haylen’s cheering was blocked out of Danse’s mind. Jane’s figure was the only thing in his view. “How’s it feel not to have power armor protecting you pretty boy?” Jane yelled. She laughed again as his face got red.

“With all due respect soldier, you’re going down.” Jane moved towards him, striking him in the gut which took him off guard. He fell back as she kneed him in the stomach. He gasped and moved back. He stood straight again and went back to Jane; hitting her arms that she held in front of her multiple times. Danse saw through her blind spot and hit her lower, sending her canting over her stomach. She was vulnerable and Danse saw his chance. He picked her up and tossed her to the ground again. She looked up at him and their eyes met. Her eyes began to water as she burst out into laughter. He lowered his hand to help her up while she lay on the dirt giggling away. Jane reached up and grabbed it,; gripping his hand tight, she used all her might to force him to the ground. Danse, suprised, was thrown on his ass. He laid on his back for a few moments while Jane moved from lying on the ground and moved to sit herself on top of him. She straddled him while his hands were pinned to the ground by hers and she held her face over him, just inches away. The air between them was nothing. If he moved an inch he would have been able to kiss her, kiss her bow lips.

“I win.” Jane smiled wide and pulled away. She raised herself off of him and walked triumphantly to the gate, letting herself out. Rhys and Haylen stood dumbfounded as she walked her way to the lockers. Danse stood and dusted himself off. 

“Danse,” Rhys began, but Danse cut him off. 

“Don’t Rhys, just don’t.” Danse held his head low as he walked to the lockers as well. He opened the door to the locker room and found Jane there waiting for him. She grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. Danse pulled away in surprise, looking at Jane, assessing her features. She looked at him. He wanted this. He pulled her in again kissing her. She moved into his kiss, kissing him back passionately. They kissed again, this time Danse softly letting his tongue into her mouth and Jane accepting it. Danse picked her up as she wrapped her legs around him. He pressed her against the wall, hungrily kissing her. She moved her hand to his face, refusing to breathe. She moved her hand to the bottom of his shirt and she raised it from his body as he held onto her legs. They broke their kiss for a moment then went back full force. Danse grabbed her breasts through her shirt while she dragged her hand through his hair. His stubble scraped at her face when they kissed. She removed her tank top while Danse’s hands helped and then he grabbed at her bra, throwing it to the ground. 

“Jane,” his solid voice broke the silence between the two, haunting their kisses. All at once the moment went cold and Danse shook his head. He set her on the ground and stepped back to find his shirt.

“I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?” She nervously looked around to find her bra.

“Nothing.” Danse, retrieving his shirt from the ground slid it on quickly and bent down again, tossing Jane her bra. Jane caught it and put it on; avoiding eye contact with Danse. “I just don’t want it like this.” 

“Like what?” She asked, her expression hurt. 

“Jane.” Danse looked around as if trying to find his words. “I've wanted this. I've wanted you.” He fell silent again, bending down one last time to pick up her tank top, offering it to her and she took it.

“I… I just don't get you. You can mess around with Maxson, that's fine you can do whatever the hell you want.” He turned to face the door, but turned back. “But you can't just play around with feelings like you own me. I waited for you and you chose Maxson.” Jane slumped back against the wall, clinging to her now dirty tank top. “You think that this world isn't real? That the life you left behind two-hundred years ago was reality and this all just, doesn't matter?” Before she could answer he was gone, leaving her to her thoughts. The water dripping from one of the shower heads could be heard in the background and she sank from the side of the wall down on the ground hugging her knees. She buried her face in between her legs and began to cry. That was the first time she had left herself cry in the commonwealth. There had been truth to Danse’s words and that's what hurt the most. She had been between Maxson and Danse, using them both to fill the emptiness in her heart she felt for Nate. She told Maxson what he wanted to hear, did what he wanted her to do so that she had someone at night when it got cold. She craved the kisses that Danse had left behind, but knew that it was probably the last time she would ever feel them. She was no slut, she didn't believe in playing men. Jane had played herself and in so doing, ruined her chances with both. She would have to leave, there was no reason for her to stay. She picked herself up and dusted herself off, choosing to look forward when she walked through the gates of the BOS compound and not looking back as the gates closed behind her.


	8. He's demon, He's a devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please do not read if you plan on reading the chapter! This summary is for people who do not want to read this chapter as it contains rape! Only read if you don't want spoilers! Refer to notes!!!
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter Jane and Cait find themselves thrown into the arms of raiders as servicing workers (sex slaves). Jane escapes her raider she was assigned to, the original raider who assigned her into servicing, and saves Cait who unfortunately is raped. The two release all the slaves from their shock collars and manage to jump from the top of the barracks to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: chapter contains rape- refer to summary for a skip of this chapter if you aren't cool with that!

It was late in the night when the doors to the servicing cells were opened. The large overhead lights flickered on as raiders each entered the room. One by one each girl was taken and one could only hear her cries as she was forced out the door. Jane clutched to Cait’s hand and Cait did the same. Both women held onto each other as finally one raider caught Jane’s eye. The raider who had been in charge of assigning jobs, who she spat on, was making his way over to her now. Time couldn't have slowed down anymore than it did when the man took his sweet time on his way over, moving past other girls being grabbed and cells with cowering girls in corners, avoiding eye contact. He came into close view, his face scarred and grotesque; the definition of commonwealth evil. She kept eye contact with him as he made his descent to her. They both glared at one another when he finally reached her cell. “Evening beauty, care to join me for a stroll,” he sneered. The edges of his mouth turned up, creating a bone chilling smile. He reeked of fresh blood and dirt. Jane yelped as the man grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet. 

“No,” she screamed. The grip that Cait held on was strong, but she let go as Jane was pulled away. Jane looked back to see Cait being restrained by two raiders, one holding her chest and the other holding her feet. Cait fighting her attackers, kicking and scratching wildly. The two made eye contact just before Jane was pushed through the door to the outside hallways. They did not exchange words, but their eyes spoke for them. 

“I'm sorry.”

Cries of the other girls who were being torn away from each other echoed the dark hallways that Jane was pulled through. She wrestled with the man, but to no avail. He placed cold metal against the back of her neck. “Move another muscle and I’ll blow your brains out.” She let out a whimper and the raider continued down the hallway to an open door. Since this building was an old police station, she could tell the room he threw her into was the captain's office. The room was medium sized with a myriad of coffee mugs on the desk and a busted computer. A skeleton wearing the rags of a police officer was lying in a resting position on the couch that sat against the wall. The raider slammed her against the desk and bent her forward. 

“Stop, please stop,” Jane cried out as tears began streaming. The sound of his belt rustling as he struggled to take it off was his only reply. “God no no no no.” Her voice came out in cracks. He unzipped his pants and grabbed her from behind.

“Go ahead and scream, I love it when they scream.” 

“Please, don’t.” Her last cry in earnest. He did a final push against her back, thrusting her face onto the top of the desk. He pulled down her pants, smacking her ass before finally pulling down her panties. Her constant wiggling from his grasp took him off guard when she pulled away her hand from his.

“Little bitch,” the raider spat through his teeth. He pushed her back into place, gripping her hair with his hand. Jane fought back, thrusting her back into him. She resisted his force and knocked him back. He stumbled into the door and stared at her angrily. He ran into her with full force, but she quickly used the desk as leverage to kick him in the gut. He bent over from the blow. Jane used the time to make her attack, she kneed him in the dick. The raider hit the floor, his face an expression of extreme pain. He laid on the floor, gasping for air and desperately trying to grab her. She kicked him on the ground, her foot causing his nose to gush blood. She continued, kicking and kicking until she was exhausted. The raider’s body sat in the ground, motionless; his face was pulp, nothing but red. She grabbed the side of the desk and bent to her knees. She looked at his body, his face unrecognizable and his pants that were dropped to his knees. What a pitiful fucking sight she thought. The smell of his body made her gag, she stood up and turned away, but couldn’t help from throwing up. She laid her body of the side of the desk and puked up all memory of his erect dick trying to rape her. She grabbed her stomach to steady herself and found her footing.

Jane looked around for her pants and put them on. She slid her panties up first, then raised her military pants and took one last look at the raider’s body. Searching his body she found the cold metal revolver that he had threatened her with before. It was a snub nose .44 bullet revolver. She placed it in between her side and her pants, making it snug. Finally opening the door, making sure to clutch the revolver close to her side so it didn’t disappear. 

Jane walked down the halls of the police station, looking for Cait. Every room she peered into, she had to immediately look away. The sight of the girls being abused and raped, she couldn’t stomach. She wanted to save them, but knew she couldn't. She didn't know how long the raiders would take on the girls or how long it would take for her and Cait to escape; she would have to let them go. By this time every window she peered into, the girls offered no resistance and were motionless to their torment. 

Once Jane had reached the end of the hall, she saw Cait in the last room possible for her to check, the staff kitchen. Jane could not see her face, only that her legs were spread out around a raider who was fucking her ruthlessly on top of a lunch table. There was no sound from her, just the slapping of skin and the banging of the table. Jane slowly opened the door, to not disturb the raider, and raised the revolver to the back of his head. If she missed she risked two things, the raider being made aware of her presence or hitting Cait. Jane heard Cait softly cry out as the Raider pressed further into her. Cait’s head fell to the side and her glazed over expression was horrifying. She stared out into the ceiling, paying no mind to what was happening to her. There was scratch marks across the raiders forearms and bruises aligned Cait’s face. Her left eye was badly swollen and blood was leaking from her nose. there was no doubt in Jane’s mind that the two had fought and that Cait had lost. The room around them was in ruins, tables turned over and chairs strewn across the room. All fight that Cait had given before was now gone as her face now sat blank. A single tear fell from her eye as her body rolled from the pressure of the raider.

Jane aimed her gun more precise, but the shock of the situation made her shake. Within seconds, she pulled the trigger and the raider slumped over Cait. The noise made Jane’s ears ring, they wouldn’t have much time. Cait remained motionless while the raider’s limp body was on top on her. “Cait!” Cait began to stir; her breathing beginning to speed up, she was hyperventilating. Jane rushed to throw the raider’s body off of Cait and as the body fell lifelessly to the floor Jane pulled Cait into a hug. Cait began crying into Jane’s shoulder as they rocked back in forth in eachother's arms. Jane broke down as well, pulling away from the hug to brush Cait’s hair out of her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” They hugged again and both cried into one another. It’s not certain how long the two sat their in eachother’s arms, clinging for safety, for help. They both remained in the position for quite some time before Cait released from the hug to searched for her pants while Jane observed the dead raider. Avoiding eye contact with Jane, Cait finally broke the silence that had filled the room.

“We’ve got to get the fuck out of here, ya here me. We aren’t gonna let them win this one. Not today.” Her Irish voice came out shaky, but assured. Jane nodded and both women wiped their eyes before taking one last look at the raider. Cait stopped in front of his corpse. “If ye don’t mind.” She held her hand open and Jane placed the revolver in her hand. Before Cait did anything Jane walked out of the room and waited outside, she couldn’t begin to comprehend what was going through Cait’s mind. Although only knowing one another for barely a day, the two now shared this, this nightmare. Nothing would ever be the same for both of them that's certain, but how could they recover from this; Jane for once didn’t have an answer. Five shots rang out into the hallway; Cait walked out empty handed and found Jane. The two women stood in silence until Jane spoke.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” They both cautiously walked through the hallway, making their way to the front office. The metal collars still attached to their neck, they had to remove them before being able to leave. Once they had reached the front office, they found a terminal inside that required a passcode. Jane quickly hacked into the mainframe and found the words, ‘Collar release’. 

“If we do this, all of the collar’s will be released, not just ours.” Jane looked at Cait, but she was looking to the front door that stood between them and the open world. 

“Where we off to then? Who's gonna take in backwater like us?” Cait’s question had validity, there was not many places for them to go, not many who would take in slaves. Finding work in the commonwealth would be a new experience as well. An idea struck Jane. Before she had entered the brotherhood she had run into a place run by a ghoul wearing a patriot suit. The town was full of misfits and plenty of places to lay low and find work. Hancock said he would do anything for her; if she needed something she would just have to say the word. The only word on Jane’s mind however was revenge. 

“We’re going to Goodneighbor, we’re going to get Hancock, and we’re gonna make them pay for this.” Cait looked Jane in the eyes, meeting her gaze for the first time and nodded. 

“Then what are we waiting for, let’s go kick some arse.” Cait slammed on the enter key and both her and Jane’s collar snapped off and fell to the floor. In only moments, shouting, screaming, and absolute chaos could be heard from all sides. The slaves were now free and they outnumbered the raiders heavily. A raider body flew in from the front doors as a man walked in carrying a fatman.

“Evening ladies!” The man tipped his invisible hat and walked into the station followed by several armed men and woman. The compound outside could be seen barely from the tops of the pissed off slave’s heads, but the screams and explosions from both parties could be heard. Jane and Cait rushed through the double doors into a war zone. Men and women behind cover; firing their pipe pistols, laser rifles, and mini nukes. They sneaked behind the cover being held by three men, all previous slaves. 

“Never in me wildest dreams could I have imagined this!” There was an excitement to Cait’s voice. She was enjoying this. 

“See those scouting positions right there?” Jane moved her hand and pointed her finger at the raised position on top of the barricade. “That’s our way out. We clearly can't get to the exit gates, but if we make it there… we might be able to jump down.” Cait gave Jane a look like she was crazy.

“Have ye gone mad? Even if we do make it to the position, how’re we gonna make a fall like that? I can take a lot, but that might just kill us.” 

“It’s our only option Cait, we have to take it.” Cait looked around for another solution, but Jane was right. The circular compound provided cover on all sides of the circle except for the middle which was a no man’s land. No one stupid enough would venture out into open fire with no cover. Lucky for the raider’s there was only one exit that was directly behind them, so the only way to the exit gate was through the open field right into the raider’s loving bullets. In agreeance, they stealthed their way from cover to cover, slinking to the shadows of cover. The shouting and firefight kept the raiders busy while they inched their way to the scout position. Cait looked at Jane.

“Jane I don’t think I can do this.” She looked back at the blazing guns and men falling from bullet wounds to their inevitable graves. That’s what this compound was, a grave yard. All of the sudden Jane placed her hand on Cait’s. 

“You can Cait, you’re a survivor. You survived that son of a bitch and you will survive this.” The two made eye contact with one another and Jane finally spoke again. “On three. One…. two…. Three.”


	9. One More Tomorrow

The vertibird’s wings started their descent into the commonwealth; Danse sat on the edge waiting. The frontal assault was taking place during midnight. The plan was to take them by surprise and drop down; once Jane was secure then they would bomb the base until it fell to the ground. The distance between the Prydwen and the Gunner’s base was not a long distance; however the wait seemed to take ages. 

Although he had kept it to himself, thoughts of Jane had been looming over him. He wondered if she had been taken advantage of, if she had been abused. He looked at his gun again for the hundredth time, absently checking the barrel and metal inside. He tried to keep distracted, but she always found a way into his thoughts. What would happen when he found her? Would she be happy to see him? He had let her get taken, it was after all his fault she was gone. Two shots had rung out in the lab at Med-Tek, one landing in Jane and the other was Danse’s shot which had missed and hit the beaker on the table. A rush of ghouls immediately crawled from under the tables and jumped on him. There was eight or nine that had pushed him to the ground, pounding on his armor. When he finally managed to free himself Jane was gone without a blood trace. He searched for hours before finally having to truck back by himself. Jane had carried all of the communication equipment, there was no way for him to get back besides walking back. The trip took days, but he went as fast as he could refusing to sleep, to think on what he had let happen. Jane, his Jane was gone from him and he wasn’t strong enough to protect her. Would she take him back in open arms when he found her; a loving savior? She had wanted to go on the mission with Danse, she had fought Maxson for it. If she did that… then maybe she and Maxson are nothing but the past. Their trip to Med-Tek took a few days time, but they didn’t speak much. Danse had no real words for Jane, only the presence of her was enough. 

The day Jane had left the compound was the first time and only time they kissed. That night in the locker room tormented him. The news of her departure was immediate, Haylen had rushed in on him repairing his power armor when he received the news. He had always wondered what would have happened if he wouldn't have stopped, wouldn't have resisted the urge to have her like he wanted from the first day he met her. Their kiss still electrified his lips when thinking about it; Jane’s long slender fingers rubbing his hair and grabbing his cheek when he pressed into their kiss. The way her naked skin had felt only briefly made him shiver. There were ghosts from that night that he could never be free of. Jane had been distant to him when she returned, but when their hands touched in the infirmary he still felt the energy. If he had convinced her to stay, told her how he really felt than none of this would have happened. Even now if he would have assured her that he still had these romantic feelings than she would not have forced Maxson to let her go. He stayed emotionless to her because he didn't know what else to do. Danse was a soldier and his life belonged to the brotherhood. He never thought he would care so much about anything other than that.

“I miss her too.” Rhys sat next to Danse peering over the side to get a better view of the ground below. “Something about her that I think everyone fell in love with.” He looked at Danse, but Danse did not reciprocate; instead looking to his gun and making imaginary inspections. “You and I both know Maxson wouldn’t be sending out a battalion if he didn't care for her too. We will find her and get her back, she's just as much a part of the brotherhood as you and me.” Danse looked up and nodded, appreciating the kind gesture Rhys was trying to make. Rhys, an odd man, was one of the only people in the brotherhood he had known since the beginning. Rhys sat loose in his armor, he wasn't built for it like Danse. His Dark hair cast a shadow on his features, making him appear more mysterious than he really was. He too had checked his gun numerous times; he and Jane were close. 

“Thank you Rhys.”

“Anytime Danse.”

The flight took just an hour before they arrived at the highway. There were patrolmen that Danse could see, observing the landscape, looking off to the other vertibirds that had flown to the right of the base. “Take us in low and fast,” Danse ordered the pilot. Within seconds the bird landed on the edge of the overpass; Danse, Rhys, and two more knights dropped down in their power armor. “Move quiet and take down targets fast, the mission is to recover initiate Abott. All targets are hostile and should be taken out on sight.” Danse motioned his hand forward and the knights followed behind while Rhys and him took point. Two guards saw them and went to shout for help but were taken down quickly. “Fan out, find initiate Abott.” 

It didn't take long for the Gunners to realize they were under attack. A storm of laser rifles and normal bullets rang out into the dark night. 

“Move, move, move,” Rhys shouted at the other knights as more vertibirds landed and soldiers dropped down. They kept a constant pace moving forward as the raiders hid behind cover and fired back. Danse took cover behind an old cargo box and Rhys hid behind a bunch of boxes. They both took turns providing fire back to the raiders. 

“I can do this all day,” a raider shouted at the two. “Come out, and fight like a man.” Danse fired a few more shots, but heard a grenade pin being pulled and stepped back.

“Grenade! Move your ass Rhys,” the grenade landed directly behind Rhys. He looked up at Danse, there was no time before the grenade went off shooting Rhys backwards. “Fuck! Rhys!” Rhys lay still in his power armor. Danse moved through the firefight pulling Rhys’ body behind the cargo box to inspect him. The grenade had blasted his face, leaving the left side of his face with a nasty burn, but his power armor seemed to have maintained most of the blow. Rhys was going to live, he had just been knocked unconscious. Danse looked back to see two knights behind cover. “You there, get Rhys back to the vertibird now. He needs medical attention.” Danse’s voice was barely audible over the sound of gunfire and explosions, but the knights heard him and moved from cover to assist Rhys. Danse chucked a grenade back behind the cover of the raiders and their bodies flew into a bloody mess. The other soldiers followed Danse’s movements and took out other Gunners along with Danse. 

At the far side of the overpass he saw several cages sitting side by side, a sort of makeshift prison. He made his way to the cages and peered inside each one, but they were all filled with other raiders from rival clans. A bloodied raider sat against one of the cargo boxes near the cages, choking on his own blood. Another knight must have shot him during their initial attack. “Have you seen a girl here?” He shouted at the raider, but the man seemed delusional. Several Jet lay next to his body and the man seemed only to hack up more blood. “A brotherhood of Steel initiate brought here about three weeks ago. Have you seen her?” His voice was becoming more worried and angry as he spoke. The man looked up at Danse and began laughing as blood poured from his mouth. Danse grabbed his shoulders and shook him, the raider stopped laughing and dropped his head to the side, dead. Danse’s whole body grew angry, she wasn’t here. She was out in the commonwealth all alone and he had no clue where that was. He was so close to her and now he couldn't be farther apart. 

 

With his hands behind his back and his head down low Danse headed off with the other soldiers in their appropriate vertibirds and watched as the missiles fell onto the overpass. The sinking feeling of loss settled within him. It wasn’t just the fact that he had no clue of where she was, it was the fact that she was at one point in time trapped in one of those cages with those raiders, all alone. 

The ancient highway made a loud noise as its legs caved in and the road hit the ground. The whole scene was very dramatic, a means to an end for a road less traveled. Danse remembered an old poem that Jane had told him once.

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim,  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I kept the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference.”

“It’s about taking chances and traveling on new paths never before discovered,” Jane said with smile. “When I was a little girl I would read this poem every day before I went to sleep.” She fell silent, taking a few moments to enjoy the silence between the two; a warm moment. “Guess I just always knew my life would be an adventure.” She made a small laugh as the word adventure left her mouth. “It's written by Robert Frost, ohh how my momma loved Robert Frost.” She paused again this time looking directly at Danse. “I miss Robert Frost.” Jane slumped back from where she was sitting and closed her eyes. Danse looked at her and watched her rest, smiling for the first time, in a long time. 

The Mass Pike Interchange had not been traveled on in ages, cars long since have passed on the road. The bombs had dropped, nuclear war had began, a new road had diverged. A fitting poem for fitting end. Danse sat back and replayed her voice in his head, reading the poem as if it was the first time he heard it. 

____________________________________________________________________

“How did the mission go Danse?” Maxson stood firm and looked at Danse with ferocity. He faced Danse forward this time, testing the paladin. Danse shifted under the weight, but did not show any emotion in his face. The distance between the two caused tension in the room. The engine’s noises blared out any white noise between the two. Danse cleared his throat and finally broke his long standing silence. 

“I’m sure you read the mission reports elder.” Danse held Maxson’s gaze. 

“I wanted to hear if from you.” Maxson’s face was solid. His posture was stiff, that of a leader and his voice was cold. Maxson was furious at Danse. Danse was a failure. Danse had let Jane get captured and he had let her slip away. The thought of Jane being abused burned his throat, ached his core. He had waited patiently for Danse to return with Jane. Sure he would have played off her rescue, but he knew she would forever be in his debt, begging for him to take her back. He shook his head. It didn’t matter if they were together, she just needed to be back. 

The night Jane left the compound Maxson had seen her leave through the gates. He had banged on the glass, at first feeling anger. Two days previous she had told him she loved him, only to walk out two days later. Jane had spent nearly every night in his quarters, she had shared her thoughts of Nate and he accepted her. Maxson had loved Jane and she had said she loved him. The blow of her just walking out with a goodbye stung worse than anything he had felt before. He would have done anything to make her stay, but that was then and this is now. Feelings of Jane was a mix in his head, he hated her. She played with his feelings and had the nerve to fuck around with his head paladin, like everything would be okay. Like he was going to let her be with Danse right under his nose. It was Jane, Maxson’s Jane. She was a stupid slut that fucked around with him and he let her. Her soft lips on his stomach, kissing lower down to his dick. He couldn’t think about it now

“Initiate Abott was not at the overpass as we previously expected. The Gunner base has been destroyed and we no longer know initiate Abott’s location.” Danse’s voice was strained. Maxson nodded at Danse’s short report and turned to face the window that looked over the commonwealth. 

“Did you sleep with her?”

The question took Danse by surprise, but Maxson stayed calm. His back now turned to Danse forbid him from seeing his elder’s face. The question sat with Danse for a few moments as Maxson waited for a reply. “No, I did not.” 

“Did you want to?” Maxson turned from the window to meet Danse face to face. Danse looked down at his feet, pondering the question. The two stood a few feet from each other and the quietness between them stiffened both men. 

“Yes.” The world stopped for Maxson and his stomach lurched. The irresistible urge to hit Danse in the face flooded within him. He could feel his face growing hot with anger as Danse stood there before him. He was stupid to think that his trusted paladin would never betray him. He couldn’t be more wrong, he was the fool. He sat in his kingdom believing that everything was right in the world. The woman that he loved and the friend he trusted, betraying him. Going behind his back and sinking the knife directly into his back. 

“Get out.” Maxson’s voice was ice, his stare was fire. Danse moved to the door, stopping as he opened it. 

“I don’t regret it.” He walked through the door and as it closed behind him the walls around Maxson closed in. The reality of the situation held him by the throat and strangled him to death. The stab wound started leaking blood, the reality of it all. Jane was not his, but neither was she Danse’s. For once in his life he lived with uncertainty towards his actions, whether her heart led her to him or Danse. If he should save her, would she go to Danse? Was he holding the knife to his back? This unknown that she created in his life mocked him at every turn. 

Danse had never spoken back to his elder, he had always respected him and known his place. The old Danse would have never admitted such things to Maxson. Jane had created strain in the very core of the brotherhood and he had let her. Who knew what Danse was capable of now? Maxson was torn in half, should he love her or let her go? What did she even want? More importantly, what had she done? He had hardly noticed how hard he was gripping the railing until he shook himself out of his thoughts. He opened his eyes and peered out on the world below him. He had no plan of action, no knowledge of what to do next. Jane was nowhere to be found and they had no idea on where she could have gone. 

“I'm sorry Jane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem is a Robert Frost poem written in 1916. Absolutely one of my favorites!


	10. Butcher Pete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had finals week so that's the reason for the delay! Again I am so sorry!!

“One, two, three.” Jane jumped off the edge of the barricade and tumbled into a pit of mud which cushioned her landing. Her back got the worst of hit when it hit against a tree log, conveniently placed where she landed. The pain was brief as the adrenaline she was feeling kept her vivid and alive. She looked around to see where Cait had landed, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Cait, Cait!” She shouted as she moved her hands through the mud puddles desperately searching for her friend. Her friend was absent. 

“Up here Jane.” Cait shouted from the top of the barricade. Cait sat bent down on her knees, peering down at Jane.

“Cait come on we have to go!” Jane shouted back up at Cait, but Cait shook her head. 

“That's your future, not mine. I can’t go with ya…. You’re a pretty girl Jane. You’ve got such a big life ahead of ya.” Cait looked at Jane with pain in her eyes.

“What do you mean Cait? There’s nothing here for you, we have to go now!” Jane cried out to Cait, but her words seemed to have no effect. 

“Find something out there Jane, find a home. I’ve got to pay some people a visit, I’ve got me own future too ya know.” She motioned for Jane to go on, but Jane hesitated. 

“Goodbye Cait.” 

“Goodbye… Friend.”

Jane broke out into a run in a random direction, as long as she was far away from that hell than she was fine. The tree branches whipped at her face, leaving blood droplets. They clawed at her exposed arms and blocked her vision. She had no way of knowing where she was exactly or where she was heading. Jane panted heavily as the endless trees that she ran through only provided more confusion. It seemed like forever when she finally reached the road. She bent down over her legs and placed her hands on her thighs. “Deep breaths.”

Taking a moment to gather her surrounding, there seemed to be nothing in sight that would provide some sort of information of where she was exactly. There sat a road with a single car that had out-rusted it’s shine and irradiated trees that lined the road on each side. The early morning fog that was beginning to rise tied in with the radiation fog which blocked eyesight. With no other options she began her long walk to wherever the road lead. As she walked deeper into the fog, the road winded down a hill, then left across a river, all the while leading Jane. The difference between then and now was astonishing, but somehow familiar. Bloatflies hung low near the water and no matter how dangerous the water was, it held a certain beauty to it. The current took the water and made it shine under the morning sun. The flora and fauna was just beginning to come alive, browns and yellows with heavy greens. Blood bugs devoured wild dog corpses on the sides of the roads and old houses long run down held ferals walking around, a memento of a family that lived so long ago. 

When Jane was little she was always afraid that one day the sun would go to sleep and never come back. Even in times like these, the sun rises and offers hope the people who are still out there surviving. Life had always been lived in the fast lane for Jane, she never stopped to see what now she missed so dearly. When Jane walked she walked slowly, taking in the artifacts of her time. Old beat down cars and the railings rusted and broken; boats lied still in the river bed and the sky that offered reds and pinks when the sun was waking. She clutched her side as she went, making sure to not stray from the road. The cement held a long crack down the middle and the yellow road markings had faded. Whenever she reached an intersection she turned a new direction, letting the road lead her. She didn’t know how long she had been walking or where she had been.

The days turned into nights and the nights brought along new surprises with them. When she grew tired she would rest on the side of the road, not caring if she lived or died. She would look up at the sky and watch the stars. The night was filled with howling and the water as it hit the sides of the bank. The howling came from all different sources, she supposed crying out to the ones they love or the ones they left behind. The stars came out every night without fail and sat like soup in the sky. When walking, the eyes of different animals lit up the night, yellow pupils of the yao guai watching her in the night, but not attacking. The night seemed more alive than in the day, as the wildlife played in the night. Feral dogs running with one another in a pack, in a remembrance of the way they used to be. Mirelurks wading into the water. These monsters were deadly on sight no doubt about it; however when they were alone, unaware of eyes watching, they tried to be what they used to be.

She stopped walking when she had finally reached where the road had ended, rows of houses acting as arrows to guide her home. She stood in front of the light blue house and took in every feature. The roof now caved in at one side, the door broken and hanging off a hinge. A window was shattered and the paint on all sides of the house was heavily chipped. She didn’t know how long she had been standing in front of her old home, perhaps hours, but there was really no way to tell. A feeling of sadness washed over her like waves on the beach. Being here, she couldn’t begin to comprehend her feelings toward this place. Although it served as her first ever home she bought by herself, the place where she started her family, the place she called home. It was also the place that held all the things she lost; her husband, her baby, her life. 

The house stood still in time, maybe if she walked inside Nate would be in there waiting for her. He would be at their kitchen island drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. The T.V. would be on as background noise while Shaun sat in his highchair and played with his food. Nate would see her and bring her into his arms, rub her head and held her tight. He would smell like sunshine and fresh apples when she sniffed in his shoulder. He would talk her ear off about the headlines and then make her read the comics, his favorite part. They would spend the day inevitably in sunshine while Nate grilled hot dogs and the Bakers, Ables, and Whitfields all hung around the hot sun while the kids played. Jane always kept Shaun in her arms and stood far enough away that he could fall asleep, undisturbed by all the noise.

Jane moved slowy as she went towards the door, pushing the door ever so lightly letting light into the darkened house. Some of the boards of the house had fallen letting bits of light in to illuminate the inside. Their red couch now had holes in its cushions and their end table was on its side. The house was neatly kept over the years and the dust that had settled along the furniture was evidence that no one had been inside in a long time. She wandered the house, but did not touch anything. The way it had preserved itself in such a time made her feel like her past wasn’t completely gone. The only thing she kept with her when she closed the door or what was left of the door behind her was the memory of what life was like before the bombs. 

She didn’t know where to go from here, here plans of Goodneigbhor became shambles. She would head to the deep into the city and look for Goodneighbor. After rummaging through her old neighbor’s house she packed up some stimpacks, purified water, and a 10mm pistol all of which she found in the bomb shelter of her neighbor. “Thank you Jahani.”

Jahani was a chem abusing recluse who always peered through his window when they threw barbecues. Although she had never spoken to him, he had always waved to her when they met eyes. His house was two up from hers, but he was never seen out of it. One day she had been left a plate of cookies at her doorstep; even if it had never been confirmed, she was pretty sure it was him who left them. Jahani had hidden his bomb shelter, disguised as a root cellar, behind his house and in between muitfruit trees. Stumbling upon it was heartbreaking as a single skeleton sat on the mattress on the floor of the shelter, but food was food and she was in no place to be sentimental. 

With all her items packed behind her in a backpack, she headed off in the direction of Goodneighbor. The artifacts from her past lined the road and struck her core at every turn. She barely made it past Concord when she approached the biggest ghost of them all, the Museum of Freedom. They had planned on attending the Veteran’s day ball the evening the bombs dropped. Flags hung from lamp posts and American banners clung to its windows like adorned ribbons. The building had no visible wear, other than the pillars being chipped of paint and the windows showing cracks. 

A rumbling began at her feet, shaking the dirt from the cement. The car that sat parked on her right was creaking from the movement of the road. A loud roar came from behind her as the sewer seemed about to burst. She turned quickly to see a large deathclaw, crawling its way from the sewage drain. “You're fucking kidding me.”

Jane began sprinting in the direction of the museum as loud thuds could be heard just seconds behind her. She could feel its hot breath on her neck, it's hands clawing as her spine. With no other option she headed for the double doors and burst through them, shutting the doors behind her. Another roar was let loose as stomping outside could be heard. She let out a sigh and backed away from the door, when the cracking of the wooden doors could be heard. The door knob turned a bit, squeaking from lack of use. 

“No way… there's just no way.” The knob turned all the way to the right and the deathclaw ran through the door, sliding as its momentum glided across the granite floor. Jane dashed for the open hallways as the deathclaw hit the entrance gate. Its hulking figure bashed through the small opening of the hallway and it screamed as it bursted through. She looked back to see its nasty greenish teeth barred and its awkwardly big body hurling forward towards her. It was covered in rotten blood and dark green scales that reflected the light that came from the openings of the room. She saw the grand staircase and booked towards it. Jane didn't check to see the deathclaw’s progress as she made her way up, but hearing its screeches as it followed in pursuit. It's huge mass made a loud cracking from the wood of the staircase, than all at once the grand stairs came tumbling down one after the other. She peered over the railing of the museum to see the deathclaw leap from the falling staircase and land on the platform she was on. It let out a shriek from that notified her of its distress from losing its progress but it was not going to let her go yet; she kept running. She ran down the open hallway, dodging the patriot mannequins and old war displays as the deathclaw followed her, destroying everything in their chase. The deathclaw was loud as its body thudded against the old floor and it's tail crashed against the faulty railing causing them to be flung across the room. It was a game of cat and mouse as Jane vaulted up the stairs and the graceless clunking of the deathclaw behind followed. She saw her escape, the manager's office. It was a straight shoot to the office, so she sprinted with all her might to the wooden door. 

Shutting it behind her, it took her only moments to realize the scene before her. Several dead bodies lay massacred on the floor. There was nothing but limbs and blood strewn across the floor. Raiders had taken their things and left their naked bodies behind as evidence. A minuteman cap sat rested behind the desk, the only thing left of value behind. A black man sat against the couch missing his head and an old lady’s body was slumped against the wall missing both arms. Jane’s stomach lurched forward and she threw up all over the floor. Their bodies were disgraced and left here to rot. It had to be several months as the stench was horrid. She moved forward past the bodies in the room to the door at the end while holding her breath and grabbing the walls for stability. Her knees felt weak and the room began spinning all around her. She fell to her knees as the pounding of her heart became more audible to her ears. The room grew hazy and the walls closed in around her. She heard nothing but her heart beat as her head hit the ground and everything went black.

________________________________________

Maxson beat his fists against the punching bag, knocking his fists against the leather. Every punch landed harder and faster. He moved like lightning, striking punches left and right, paying no attention to the eyes watching him. He hit again, knocking the bag so hard that it fell from the chain holding it to the ceiling. He made fists with his hands and inspected the damage; bruised knuckles with blood dropping down to the floor from the cracks of his skin. He walked to the locker and grabbed some wrap to bandage his fists, wrapping them tightly, so tight that he bit his teeth together as he worked. Once they were neatly bandaged he turned to see no one at the door, someone had left while he was bandaging his hands. He walked over to the vertibird that was supposed to let him up to the Prydwen when he heard his name. 

“Maxson.” Danse said his name like dirt on the ground. Maxson turned to see Danse leaning against the fighting ring. He walked through the gate of the ring, the compound was empty except for him and Maxson. Danse was challenging him. Maxson walked forward to Danse and opened the rusted gate, enjoying the screech of metal as it opened. He had wanted to beat Danse to a pulp, this was his chance. They both raised their hands and assumed fighting stance. Danse spit on the ground and the two men began circling the ground in a hypnotic rhythm. Maxson choosing to observe his opponent looking for Danse’s weakness. His posture was flawless as every brotherhood soldier’s should, but his speed was decreased due to his size. His arms could pack a punch no doubt in Maxson’s mind but he didn’t have speed. Danse struck first, knocking the sides of Maxson’s raised arms, Maxson struck after, but Danse was quick to block. He retaliated with a side punch hard to the side of Maxson’s face and Maxson retreated back. He moved in again with a kick to the calf, but Danse was expecting that and moved back.

They began circling again, blood dripping from his ear that had been hit. He moved in and began jabbing at Danse’s defense, knocking him back causing his blocked arms to hit his face. There was now blood dropping from Danse’s nose as he moved in again hitting Danse’s stomach. Danse gasped but no air came out. “You're weak Danse, you always have been,” Maxson’s voice stood over him. This seemed to revive Danse as he stood back up and resumed his stance. Blood had gushed from his nose running down his shirt but he wiped it away.

“Weak?” He shouted at Maxson. “Weak is letting her go you coward.” His words cut like a knife in the air. 

“You let her go, you left her there,” Maxson shot back and Danse stepped back further. They were both breathing heavy from their fight. Maxson moved closer to Danse and went to punch him in the ribs. Danse dodged to the side and pushed Maxson back. He hit him again and again until Maxson shoved back. Danse had managed to hit his mouth, Maxson spat out blood and shoved him back. 

“You let her push you to go to the mission, you're scared of her.” 

“You let her go Danse and now she's gone and we have no idea where to find her. I did everything in my power...” His words trailed off and they both stood still. They both dropped their stances and just stood. 

“Maxson let me go find her.” His words were stern, but there was yearning in his voice. “Give me time to find her and I will.” Maxson pondered the thought in his head, giving it time to fully sink in. The idea of letting Danse find her he didn't like, but again if anyone could find her it would be him. 

“You have time, find her.” Maxson walked off leaving Danse alone in the ring. He didn’t know why he let Danse go or how long he would give him. The brotherhood needed soldiers like Danse, he couldn't let her get in the way of that. He had important matters to attend to and he had wasted enough time. 

Maxson returned to his office in the Prydwen and on his desk held a file that had been left for him. He turned the page open and inside lay a file titled “The Institute”, subheading: Shaun Abott.


	11. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

A cool breeze dusted the few flyaway hairs on her head. Jane raised her head and then lifted her body while moving slowly. The room was no longer a fog to her as things seemingly had cleared since last night. The gnarly sight before her reminded her of the situation. She was in the Museum of Freedom, being hunted by a deathclaw which was… not good. She scratched her head and looked around, but their was nothing new from the gory scene other than the old lady's body that had disappeared. It seemed impossible to ever get used to the smell of decaying bodies and her stomach lurched with every breath. 

A long blood trail led out of the door to the hall. Jane guessed that a body had been dragged out. She looked around and saw that the old lady's body had disappeared. The thought of the deathclaw ripping her apart made her sick, but it gave her time, time to escape. The gravesite of these people covered her scent and hid her among the dead. The deathclaw must have taken the old lady’s body by mistake. 

She peered out the door to see if the deathclaw was there, but it was nowhere in sight. She decided to head to the opposite hallway that was connected to the original office and found a door that lead up to the roof. There were dirt tracks of power armor, but the raiders must have taken it when they slaughtered the minutemen. With no other option she decided to head back down to the main floor of the museum. The air in the museum floor was still and suspiciously quiet. With no problem she headed out of the museum into the radiation fog of the morning. 

A dead raider with a large hole in his center offered her a green hood with an assault gas mask which she quickly pulled over her head to provide protection from the rads. The mask smelled of man sweat and chems, but she was desperate from the sweet release it provide from the burn in her eyes. She moved forward from Concord to Diamond City.

The trip took only an hour because she wasn’t sure exactly where Diamond City was, but the tall green walls of Fenway Park illuminated the buildings around her. She followed around the walls until she reached the entrance with no problems from the guards because they had seemingly dozed off. Heading inside the “Great Green Jewel”, she walked down the long stairs to find the city busting around, as if almost no time had passed since she had last been. People sat along with their shops, a newsie girl shouted about the newest paper, and an assault drone sat at the center of it all selling noodles. A tune surrounded the air, a town stuck in time. The song playing on the jukebox, April Love by Pat Boone. 

“Ohh Mr. Boone how you have a way with words,” her mother cooed as the sweet sound of his voice filled the room. She grabbed Jane’s hands and the two swooned together to the flow. Jane’s small  
Dress floating around as the music carried the two around the room. Jane’s dad laughed in the background, leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. Jane’s mom had a yellow summer dress on accompanied with pearls and a smile. The words of Mr. Boone as his final words sang “So if she’s the one don't let her run away.” Jane's mom grabbed Jane and pulled her into a hug. 

Jane smiled at the memory, but was shaken back to life when the song ended and with it a piece of her heart. She passed by without anyone noticing her presence, choosing to head behind the shops to the building in the back with the neon heart sign jutting out of the side of the building, just above the door. She opened the door and slid the mask off, Nick was at his desk.

“Jane,” Nick's familiar voice caused her to pause. She didn't know exactly what she was doing here or why she had strayed so far in the first place. 

“Nick.” She smiled but the two kept their distance from one another. They had not parted ways on the friendliest terms, but they were friends or something close. 

“What's one of the Brotherhood’s finest doing in my office?” His question was sincere, but she couldn't help but notice the bite his in voice over the word “Brotherhood.”

“I need a map.” She absently toyed with her fingernails, scratching at the cuticles. Nick had been one of the few friendly faces she had come across in her early days out in the commonwealth. He was in fact a synth which had forced her to cut all ties when she joined the brotherhood. The Brotherhood had a no synth policy. She was undecided on the matter, but knew the Brotherhood could protect her and give her things that she needed. Once she had made the decision to join she ended her traveling days with Nick. 

Nick nodded and sorted through his drawers before locating a thin sheet of paper and slid it across his desk appropriately. “If I remember right you had a Pip-Boy to use instead of a lousy map.” His gaze fell to the empty spot on her wrist where it used to lay. 

“Smashed it in a fight,” Jane said as she rubbed the spot, she too felt its absence.

“I see.” He sat in his chair awkwardly, making sure to avoid her eyes. The truth of what happened to her Pip-Boy seemed too much; the truth of what had happened to her seemed too much. It seemed like ages ago since she had been the lost, wide eyed girl wandering the commonwealth in search for her son. “Before you go, I gotta ask. What happened with the disappearing of your son?” 

The question struck her in her core, although she knew it would come eventually. “He's dead. The brotherhood tracked him to the Institute. He’s gone.” She turned away now heading for the door, but paused when Nick spoke.

“So you know he's dead then?” Nick was looking her in the eyes now, a face of concern. 

“No, I don't.” She couldn't take the judgement of him anymore. “He’s with them and there's nothing I can do. I buried that a long time ago.” She opened the door and headed out the back way of Diamond City like a black cat in the night. The map held two destinations that she was torn between Goodneighbor or the Prydwen.

Jane's original path was for Goodneighbor, but in her medical condition she needed to head back to the Prydwen. The infection from her original shot was pus filled and she held sores over her body due to overexposure to the sun and general wear from not eating and walking several miles. She hated herself for dropping her supplies during her chase with the deathclaw. Whether she liked it or not the Prydwen is the only place stocked with enough medication to save her. When she was finally healed then she would move on with her plan. If they chose not to help her go save Cait and get revenge than she'd go to Goodneighbor. A piece of her ached to see him. She wandered what he would do when she arrived. She dragged her slender finger across the map and her nail landed on the small red dot. 

“Home sweet home.”

________________________________________

Danse kept to himself as he worked, intentionally avoiding Maxson. Danse had pulled every file that could be of use to him and then some. Other brothers and sisters moved around him, but he remained vigilant in his search. Haylen had been down to see him a few times bringing food, but other than that he was left alone. Today Danse had Proctor Quinlan pull nearly everything from his shelves.

Danse had spent the previous night filtering through all the files he had on the Gunners. They had way too many bases to search through, he would have to focus on the slaving compounds. There was no way of knowing if she had been killed or if she was already sold to someone else, but slaving was the best shot. Danse came back to his work station and began sifting through the mess he had left himself last night.

He took out an old map of Boston and circled the highway where she had been taken and then took his own Pip-Boy that he had pulled from his power armor and marked the locations of the Gunners’ bases known to hold slaves with dots. All intel he had on the Gunners was not even close to being recent, but he was working with little to nothing and that had to count for something. Anything that they had on the Gunners he had to use, he was in no position to be picky. He had wasted enough time being patient, being optimistic. The simple fact was that Jane was out there and it was his fault, he had to find her. There was no other option. 

Using a ruler he marked three bases close by, one seemingly inches away from the main circle. However, there was a river in the way, not easy for transportation. If they had taken slaves to a slaver camp then they wouldn't have gone through the trouble and travel far to get to other bases, she had to be close by. He marked an X on the base, leaving two places behind. Both places would be a straight shot for a cart pulling several slaves from the highway. There was no way to differentiate the two, one was in a swampy area down by the bog; another was close to the water. He began sifting through area reports of the two, but nothing was coming up to assist him in his decision between the two. A figure appeared through the doorway, but Danse was too transfixed in his work to notice.

“If I didn't know any better I'd think you were a statue Danse.” Scribe Haylen moved into view as Danse looked up from his work. “How long have you been working? Have you even gotten any sleep?” Danse’s silence answered her questions. She placed a plate of hot food down to the table next to his workspace. 

He looked back down at his work as Haylen walked over to see his map. “I just got a report from a patrol over in that area,” Haylen said as she pointed to one of the bases he had dotted on the map. “The slaves had some sort of rebellion, took the whole base by storm. People were saying you could hear the fighting all across the commonwealth.” 

“Then she’s there.” Danse’s voice was harsh from lack of sleep. He had tried to sleep the night before, but it was just useless tossing and turning. There was no doubt in his mind she was there. A piece of him was hoping she would stir up trouble, it’s just who she is. Danse circled the base and nodded to Haylen. “Thank you.” 

“No problem, just doing my job.”

Danse nodded again before heading to the power armor station. “Just bring her home safe Danse.” 

Danse turned back to her, “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maxson or Danse, let me know if the comments! I'm just curious!


	12. Way Back Home

Jane kept to the shadows cast by the tall, looming buildings of Boston. Every so often a feral hound would come along or a pack of ghouls that wouldn't hesitate to tear her limb from limb. Once she encountered them, she chose a different path. About a mile from the Prydwen she felt rumbling in the ground that seemingly shook the buildings around her. The rocks and dirt shifted with the movement, knocking against Jane’s boots as she looked around for the source of the rumbling. 

A loud screech rang out just seconds before Jane could turn her head to see her old friend. It hurled itself at ferocious speed. She looked for an escape and dodged into the nearest building to her left. The doorknob refused to give. “Come one come on,” Jane prayed as the deathclaw smashed into the brick behind her. “Fuck,” she shouted as the falling debris crashed to the ground before her. With no other option, she ran full force at the frail glass window and used her side to brace herself. The window shattered as she hurled through it. The deathclaw screamed at her progress, but failed at its attempt to climb through the window. Its long scaled arm reached out to grab her; Jane rolled to the left on the glass just in time.

She gasped for air as she struggled to find her footing. The glass on the floor was covered with her blood as she looked down at her hands to reveal thousands of little pieces embedded in her palm. She looked to the window she just jumped through to reveal the snarling deathclaw staring back. With some assistance from the table behind her, Jane slowly stood. The death claw backed away from her and with it relief. “Thank god,” she said as the deathclaw screeched and the wall bursted with the deathclaw following in the rubble. Jane took a moment as the groggy deathclaw fixated its cold, black eyes on her. She bolted to the stairs with the deathclaw following her. The sound of the old wooden staircase cracking behind her was enough to keep running. Her injured leg caused her running to be more of a limp, but it was all she could do. She managed across the second floor, but there was no where to go. She had to think.

The building next to her’s had an open window she could jump through if she could make it. Her building’s roof had fallen apart many years ago, now it was a pitiful excuse of what it was; however, it allowed an opening for her to jump. Without looking behind her, she jumped to the window and managed to grab the seal. The deathclaw roar behind convinced her to pull herself through the window. She grunted as her shaky muscles pulled her into the window. Landing on her back, she laid back panting. Taking a moment to get up and look through the window, she peered back to the crumbling building to see the deathclaw had left. To not jinx herself, Jane kept quiet when she limped her way downstairs to find herself in a diner. The main floor was home to many graves of customers slumped in their seats and a waitress on the main counter. The windows were again too small for the deathclaw to get in and the walls were much more structurally intact than whatever she was in previous, though Jane didn't care much about that. The only thing on her mind was food, her stomach growled at the thought. 

With a prayer, she searched through the rusted drawers and cabinets for anything. When she had finished her search she laid everything on the table. She had found a can of Cram, two Dandy Boy Apples, Instamash, and Pork’n Beans. She sat at a booth and ate until her stomach was content. She felt the radiation buzz from the food, but her stomach had finally rested when it hadn’t in weeks. Although the jukebox in the corner hadn’t played a tune in years, she hummed along to it anyway. 

“I love those dear hearts and gentle people,  
Who live in my home town.” She drummed the beat with her fingers on the table. “Because those dear hearts and gentle people, will never ever let you down…” Jane fell silent as the final words left her mouth. The room seemed more empty than when she had entered. Her leg now aching from her previous stunt, she stood and felt the pain surge into her core. She limped to the exit and opened the door to find the night settling in. A look around the street showed no signs of her pursuer, so she continued on the road.

About halfway down the street she heard it, the growling of a night predator who doesn't give up during a hunt. It's dark scales had camouflaged itself into the night. Jane had been played by the apex predator. It had waited for hours until she would come out, waiting for its chance to strike. It came out slowly stalking its prey. She made a side glance for the diner, but the deathclaw would be able to catch her if she tried anything. Jane had nowhere to run, no place to go. She wasn't fast enough for another chase and if she tried the deathclaw would certainly catch her. She stared back at the monster and looked at death in the eyes. Its coal eyes watched her closely for her next move. At this moment, she was no longer afraid of dying. She had done all she could, her choices were her own. With open arms she would embrace death as an old friend she had been unconsciously running towards. She closed her eyes and waited for it all to end, but it didn't. 

Loud machine guns began rapid fire all around her, opening her eyes she saw the deathclaw roaring at the sky. Looking up she saw a metal vertibird hailing fire upon the beast. Bullets rang out into the start night, each one piercing the skin of the beast. It let out a final screech when it hit the pavement. The ground shook as it body rolled on the floor, lifeless. The bird lowered itself onto the ground and several suits of armor lowered down to greet her. Instead of a warm greeting, they grabbed her arms and thrusted them behind her back with cuffs.

“Take her to Elder Maxson,” a suit said as they dragged her to the metal plane. 

“Greetings boys, I feel like we've done this before,” Jane said weakly as she was pushed further by a soldier behind her. 

“You're in the hot seat today sister,” another suit said to her left, a female voice. She was shoved again into the vertibird and was lifted from the ground as the loud propellers started. She peered down, straining against her cuffs to see the deathclaw’s limp body lying on the road as green blood began to pool from under it. This time it wasn't coming back. The flight took almost nothing as she received dirty looks from almost everyone in the plane, everyone except the pilot of course. 

Upon arrival the suits escorted her directly to Maxson’s domain where he stood facing the window, his back turned to her. 

“Maxson,” the suit said, but before he could finish Maxson waved him away. He turned and took her in; her body, her face, her aura. Her once long and luscious black hair was now matted and covered with mud and dirt, her clothes hung loose, she stood with a limp, her face was smeared with mud, her shirt was stained with blood, and her eyes were tired. She looked at him for a second before tears began welling in her eyes and her body shook from emotion. He walked towards her until there was no space between them, and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and let go, let go of all the pain and sadness she had been carrying around with her. His strong arms held her together as she wept in his arms. He stroked her hair as she buried her face in his chest. While in his arms she wondered what she had been running from this whole time, was it the deathclaw or was it Maxson. The two held each other for a long time before she pulled away and looked up at him. He used his big hand to wipe away a stray tear and also looked at her almond eyes. 

“You should go see Cade. When I'm finished with my files I will come and visit,” Maxson said firmly as he lowered his arms from her. She nodded and limped down to Cade. The walls around her were fuzzy and the pain she had felt for so long had finally gone away. When she entered Cade’s office he went in a frenzy of examinations on her and in total she had wracked up a broken leg, two broken ribs, wounds worth twenty stitches, four stimpack uses, and a very stressed out Cade. 

“If I didn't know better it seems like you were trying to get hurt,” Cade awkwardly joked as he worked on setting her broken leg. She bit down on her lip as he worked and continued to be silent until he finished. “Well I’m gonna say it plain, if the other knights hadn’t found you when they did than you would’ve succumbed to your injuries surely before that deathclaw got to you. The stimpacks I used should heal the broken leg and ribs, just don't move until it has properly reset. The ribs also might cause some pain until the stimpack has fully done its job. As for your infections they cleared up nicely and the stitches will dissolve within the hour, with my estimate you should be mission ready in a day or two.” Cade nodded when he finished his spiel and headed off to the hallway of the Prydwen before turning and saying, “I won't tell Maxson so you can decide which one you prefer.” He giggled his way out of the room until it was just her. 

Jane laid back on the metal bed frame of the med-bay bed and sat still when a dark figure entered the room, Maxson. He sat down in a foldable chair next to her bed and looked at her intensely as if she might disappear. “I'm glad you're back,” he muttered. The gesture although unusual was comforting, but she wanted to talk to him. 

“Thanks Maxson,” she said as she leaned up a bit. Her ribs burned in her side and she yelped. Maxson moved to help her, worry on his face. She smiled and offered her hand out to him and he took it. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand and she smiled, “Did you worry?” She laughed. 

“No,” he laughed as she got a smile out of him. “I knew nothing would stop you from proving me wrong.” She smiled shamelessly as he smiled back. She felt sixteen again, now more than ever aware of how awful she looked. “But the question you really wanted to ask,” he said as he hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Where is Danse?” He said looking straight at her. She couldn't lie, she had noticed his absence. Her strong metal man was nowhere to be seen, seemingly a thousand questions filled her brain. The two had been patching their relationship before she had been taken, although they hadn't said much it was something. 

“Yes, I didn't want to bring him up…” her voice trailed off because she didn't know how to say it. Say that she cared for Danse in front of Maxson. 

“Danse left on a mission a day ago in search of you.” As soon as Maxson stopped talking, her heart skipped a beat. Danse did care for her. He did so much so that he would risk his life to go and get her back. 

“Where did he go?” She asked as the millions of possibilities surged through her brain. She had been almost everywhere in the time she had been taken, he could have gone anywhere. Her heart hurt for the lost paladin out looking for her. If he had feeling for her still than everything she had planned would be in shambles. Their relationship was everything but perfect, but if he was out there looking for her than it meant something to him it had to. Whether he thought of her as more or just a fellow soldier she couldn't say. She had to know more. 

“I did not speak to him personally, however the reports say that he went to a slaver camp close to where to where you taken from the overpass,” he said as he looked into her eyes questioningly. Danse was going to where the riot had broken out, the one she had started to escape. What's left of it now was only guesses. If Cait was still there or if the Gunners had taken it back was mere speculation. And if Maxson didn't speak personally to him it meant that the two were still at odds with each other with only her to blame.

“The overpass, you knew I was there?” She asked as anger flared within her. He knew where he was and he let her get taken to that horrible slave camp. He could have saved her, but he didn't. 

“Danse led a battalion to the overpass, but you had left before he got there. It's destroyed now,” Maxson said as he kept his cool. His hand clenched hers more tighter than before. “We… I did my best to get you back. I promise,” He said firmly to her as he released his grip from her hand and brought it to his side. 

“You're telling me that the Gunner base is gone now.” She stammered as he broke his gaze from her. 

“Yes.” 

“So you approved this mission then?” She had to know if he cared. If Maxson was looking for her as much as she was looking for him. “This mission Danse is on, you sent him out for me?” She didn't know if what she was saying reached him, but it’s all she could do to fill the emptiness in the room. Maxson was looking off to the wall before he turned back to her. 

“Yes,” he said as he began to stand before she stopped him by reaching out and touching his arm.

“Don't go,” she whispered as he looked at her. She showed pain in her eyes as he searched them for answers. “Look I’ve made many mistakes before, but I would like for us…” she looked around for her thoughts as the Elder hung onto every word. “I love you Maxson.” His expression gave nothing away as he looked at her, possibly confusion or shock she couldn't say. The room was incredibly quiet, the same fan was buzzing above their heads. “Look I know I have been everything but normal… And things are never going to be normal for us. I don't even think that our definitions of normal are the same, but when I was alone I kept thinking of one thing…. You.” He nodded and furrowed his brow as he stood and began pacing the side of her bed. 

“So Dane then?” He stopped and looked at her.

“Danse is my friend, I should have realized that.” He started pacing again and then stopped at the chair and sat down. 

“I was so worried I lost you,” he said as he brushed a stray hair from her ratty hair. “I love you too.” He leaned over the bed and kissed her with his eyes closed. It was a soft simple kiss, but it was enough.

________________________________________

Danse waited for the vertibird to settle before hopping off the side while his power armor made a crunch in the dirt. He had the pilot land him about a half a mile from the slaver camp. If Haylen was correct than the camp may be hostile to workers who won't take kindly to a Brotherhood Paladin. He walked steadfast until he faced the giant walls surrounding the camp. A face peered down from the lookout position, it was a ghoul. 

“To what do we owe this great honor?” He said as he looked the Paladin up and down. Danse was used to Commonwealth scrutiny on the Brotherhood. This was a risky situation, usually he would just demand they release Jane but this was a delicate matter since if he misrepresented his intentions than she could be killed or worse. 

“I'm looking for one of my recruits who went missing… was forced into slavery,” Danse said as he peered up at the ghoul. 

“She gotta name?” The ghoul shouted back as he took a moment to look back behind the wall then returned. 

“Jane.” When the name left his mouth he realized how much he missed it and how much he missed her. The rocky feeling of anxiety of whether he had guessed her location right or if he did, but was too late. Danse had never put his life on the line with so many unknowns. It seemed like ages before the return of the ghoul. 

“I'm afraid we don't got nobody by that name. Could ya have meant Jade or Jake?” The slur in his words meant that he was under the influence of alcohol or in other words boozed out of his mind. The ghoul would be no further assistance to his search. 

“Citizen… I mean what's your name?” Danse would need to play this cool if he was going to get her back. 

“Fred,” said the ghoul triumphantly as if he had an award winning name. 

“Fred, allow me to further your search myself and take a look inside your walls…. I mean inside your base.” Danse wasn't used to talking to the scum of the Commonwealth, more used to just killing them. 

“No,” Said the ghoul as he swayed back and forth from his drink. 

“No?”

“No.” 

“Well why not?” Danse said as he grew more impatient at the drunken idiot. 

“You're gonna kill me,” said the ghoul as he belched down at the Paladin. Danse was getting nowhere with this guy. If Danse wanted to get Jane he had to speak to someone else. The ghoul’s swaying became more intense as Danse tried to speak to the ghoul. While the two continued to bicker back and forth a skinny redhead walked up next to the ghoul and patted him on the back. 

“Time to relieve ya of your post ya drunken arse of a man Freddy,” she said as the drunken ghoul nodded and headed down what Danse assumed was steps leading down into the main base. The girl looked down at Danse, just as Fred had, and furrowed her brows. “I heard you asking about a lass named Jane. Is it true?” Danse was struck by the woman's forwardness and her thick Irish accent. 

“Yes, I'm looking for Jane.”

“I know a woman by that name, but she's long gone from here. Headed towards Goodneighbor last I heard.” Goodneighbor wasn't too far from where the slaver camp was located, he decided that he would walk to Goodneighbor from the camp. If she was still there than it would be only hours before they were reunited and the thought gave him relief. The two had been separated for weeks now all due to his failure. Not only did he owe Jane for his mistake, he owed Cutler. This was a personal mission for Danse, he couldn't let her die. Danse had failed one soldier he would not fail another. While lost in thought the Irish woman spoke again, “if you find her, tell her Cait says thank you.” Danse nodded and headed off to Goodneighbor in the direction the the falling sun. With nightime comes new threats and obstacles. The woman watched at the metal suited man walked off to Goodneighbor in search of a woman who was already saved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for you patience, and also for Danse fans... do not worry he has not lost yet...


	13. Might Mighty Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IGOR FETCH ME THE BRAIN! I’m alive and well, back into my fallout groove! Here’s to hoping it lasts! More juicy details to come hehe. Fingers crossed I get super powers!

Danse could feel the weight of travel as he headed onwards. Feral ghouls throwing themselves at him, mutated hounds ripping at his armor. The days began to blend together and by the third day his mind ran rampid with thoughts of Jane. He believed with every ounce of himself that it was his fault she was in this situation. The blazing heat beat down on his shoulders, he tried to look up but the glare burned his eyes. He could feel the radiation buzzing within him. Danse was tired, tired of all the ferals, tired of all the raiders, but most importantly tired of worrying. He had a job to do. Save Jane. Nothing else mattered. 

When he finally reached the rusted gates of Goodneighbor Danse felt exhausted. He was nearly out of cells from all of the times he’d been jumped from the Prydwen all the way to the trash littered streets of Goodneighbor. Danse knew all too well the welcome he’d receive being in a place such as Goodneighbor. Without a squad backing him up, a fight would not end up in his favor. Being a man of few words may not help him this time. But it was Jane. He’d do it for Jane. 

The rusty door creaked open, what was a bustling town sat still at the present of a Brotherhood Paladin in power armor. “Hey Hancock,” shouted out a civilian. “You’re gonna wanna see this.” A ghoul wearing an old fashioned patriot uniform exited out of a building to the left of Danse. He smiled, revealing a set of rotted teeth. As the ghoul got closer he reeked of Jet. All eyes were on Danse. If he wanted to save Jane he had to play his cards right, civilians were often emotional and keen to violence which would not be ideal for securing Jane’s safe return. “What did I do to deserve such a guest?” He laughed as he slowly passed through the crowd on his way to the Paladin. “No no don’t tell me. We finally pissed you all off enough to get a candy gram from yours truly.” The ignorance made Danse impatient. The way the Ghoul joked at such an important matter, smelling of chems and rotting flesh. He could barely stand the sight of the creature, it took everything in him to stay calm. Focused.

“I’m looking for a Brotherhood soldier who was lost.” Danse chose his words carefully, saying them slow and precise. Like a soldier would. “I must ask your assistance in locating her.” Danse waited awkwardly in his power armor for a reply, shifting from left to right. People were crowding now, swarming like bees. Whispers and remarks swam around his ears, testing his resilience. Hancock’s face shifted now, he looked serious. He nodded quickly and motioned for Danse to follow as he headed back to the building from which he came. Danse’s thoughts buzzed around his head. Too many memories flooding in that the gates could no longer hold. 

There are a few moments Danse can remember clear as day about Jane, almost like photos in an album. The day she came to his aid at Cambridge Station, holding a 10mm pistol. She was still in her vault 111 suit with her hair pulled back behind her face revealing her remarkable features. She wore a harness and greaves on both arms, a few stimpacks clung tightly to her right side. She came in like an angel, smiling at him when she spoke. That is a moment he can clearly remember. Jane holding her gun down in her vault suit with her hair pulled back, smiling at him. 

Hancock led him up a set of spiral stairs to a room littered with chems. He looked at Danse, the once arrogant face now intent

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific than her,” stated Hancock. The way he fiddled with his fingers showed Danse Hancock knew something, just what was the question.

Danse surveyed the room, making an effort to avoid the ghoul’s eyes. Thoughts, just him and his thoughts. Danse can remember Jane coming to him in his sleep. She rest her hand on his arm, slowly shaking him awake. Silently, she grabbed his hand and led him to the deck of the Prydwen where they laid and looked up at the stars. She mentioned how much the world had changed, but not the sky. He looked over at her, not sure what to say. The air between them was comfortable and safe, there wasn’t a need for words. Danse couldn’t think of a time he’d been so comfortable, so safe and so sure. She too turned her head to face Danse, eyes like the stars above them, looking at him intently like she was studying him. They laid there, slightly shivering, looking at each other with no words. Another memory. 

“A brotherhood soldier by the name of Jane.” He sounded detached, like a soldier on a mission would. He didn’t want Hancock to know how much pain and emotion the name brought him. Jane smelling of sweat, dirt, and sex. Pulling at his hair, biting his lip. Danse could feel her body up against his and her movements colliding like skyscrapers. However, that is not what he remembers the most. The snapshot is her broken face, tears welling in her eyes before he turns away. She’s clutching her shirt and her hair is all astray. He can hear her asking him, “why.” He can feel the hurt in her voice, but mostly in his chest. He still feels that sinking feeling now from time to time. That day haunts him whenever he lets his mind think. That is the moment he remembers the most out of any memory.

“I figured. Heard knees from one of my informants she made hell at slaver camp.”Said Hancock as he stood back. “I haven’t seen her in ages, but I knew she joined the Brotherhood when she stopped traveling with me.” Hancock stopped for a second then continued. “I’m afraid she isn’t here. Hasn’t been in months, but if there is anything I can do to help her I will.” Hancock’s reaction shocked Danse. If she wasn’t here, than where could she be? His heart stopped. A thousand possibilities rushed through his brain, none of them good. Time seemed to slow, so much so he could hear his heart pounding through his chest. His plan in shambles, his efforts for nothing. 

“Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Danse had lost it. Days of traveling, days of beating his hopes bare. He didn’t know where else to go. Danse could feel his soldier stance failing, heat rising within him. Rage. Anger towards himself, Maxson, Jane, and even Hancock. His thoughts began whirling in his head. Where to go? What to do? Jane passed out in the arms of Brotherhood soldiers as they held her broken body. She was so weak and chem filled. She looked up briefly making eye contact with him as they hauled her to Cade. He never knew if she actually saw him. Perhaps it wasn’t really her in that destroyed body. He always wanted to ask her if she did in fact see him, but he knew better than to ask. The worst memory he has of her. The one he wishes he could forget. 

“Ehh, you alright there?” Offered Hancock. Danse’s distress was now obviously visible. He could feel the veins popping from his forehead. It seemed like everyone was in his way. He did everything his soldier training taught him and he still failed her. Danse’s nails dug into his hands as he tried to muster some composure. 

“Yes civillain, I must look elsewhere for soldier Abbott’s whereabouts. The Brotherhood thanks you for your assistance.” His words were cold and meaningless. There were so many emotions tied up tight in his chest. He couldn’t identify them all; failure, anger, sadness, hopelessness. He turned sharply and left the building. He had failed Jane. The truth sinking like a knife in his gut. Nothing left to do but head back to Maxson and relay his failure. His power armor seemed heavier than usual as he made his journey back to the ship in the sky.

_____________________________________________

Jane shifted to the right in front of the mirror in Maxson’s room, adjusting the Brotherhood suit she was given as compensation for being kidnapped. The suit fit nicely, a pleasant change from all of the baggy clothing she was subjected to while she was away. She tried to conceal her smile. Here she was, in Maxson’s personal quarters, clean and in clothes that fit. Through the black thread she could actually make out her figure, shockingly she looked good. For once it felt nice to be in the skin of Jane Abott. Looking directly at the mirror she could almost make out herself. She no longer saw a ghost, but a woman.

The door creaked open and out of the corner of her eye she spots Maxson coming into the room. He smiles as he makes his way towards her, grabbing her from behind and resting his arms around her, hugging her stomach while nestling his face in the crook of her neck. He smells of oil and sweat, his scruff scratched at her soft skin, but it was the happiest feeling she had in what felt like forever. “I see Teagan gave you some clothes,” Maxson smirked as he released her from his grasp, stepping back to take in her figure. She felt pride in him noticing her change in clothes, he was paying attention, admiring her like she always wished for. 

“What do you think? Too tight?” She laughed as she now turned to face him. Jane placed her hands on both sides of his face, pulling him in for a kiss. Their lips met softly. Maxson reached his hand lower, grabbing her from behind, pulling her in. She kissed him again, this time with more passion, their tongues entering one another’s mouths. Their passion died out as soon as it began when Maxson pulled away, moving his hands to her waist and his head back to get full view of her face. 

“I have a meeting to attend. Matters on the Institute have just risen to the surface. I only wanted to stop by and check in on you.” He paused and smiled before he continued. “We haven’t had much time to talk after the med bay,” he said awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck. Their quick exchange had been sitting at the fore front of her mind. This whole respecting each other and playing on even ground was new for both of them, but welcome. She could tell he was making an effort which was difficult for him, he was a soldier first and a man second. Growing up in the wasteland didn’t leave time for love and relationships, this was all new to him. The first time he didn’t need to win any war. 

“I meant it,” she said as she caressed his check. 

“Me too.” There seemed like a long pause before Jane decided to speak up. “Well, when you’re done talking synth. Come find me and we can continue this conversation,” she winked as she headed for the door. He smiled back, probably grateful she didn’t ask for more information. It didn’t matter to her much, she had her ways of finding out things that the Brotherhood didn’t want her to know. 

“But for the record, that suit makes you look beautiful,” he said as she closed the door. Beautiful huh. This was a start to something new and filled her with hope. He was treating her with respect, a new sense of pride and purpose washed over Jane just like a storm had passed and she could finally see the sunshine.


	14. Butcher Pete (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any curious, I will absolutely finish this story and we’re actually pretty close, further more I already have some of the next stuff written(:

Jane awoke in the middle of the night to find Maxson sound asleep at her side. She slid out of the bed letting the cool air send goosebumps across her body as she made her way to the door. Before she left she peaked over to see Maxson’s chest rise and fall. He looked so perfect while he slept, no worrying, no battles, just sleep. It was so tranquil to see a man whose usually going a mile a minute just resting. He sometimes would toss and turn, remembering something he probably would never share, then waking up in a sweat only to see her and hold her tight. This past week had been almost dream like, like he changed. Like they were equal. Jane closed the door slowly making sure it didn’t creak, then headed towards the Prydwen’s command deck, then to the records room. The ship for the most part was asleep except for the occasional engineer tinkering at some pipes, too busy to be bothered by her presence. 

“Institute stuff huh,” Jane whispered as she began shuffling through the most recent files. “Gunners no, Railroad no, hmmm where are you?” She shuffled through the Manila folders. She must have spent an hour before she had gone through them all and of course to no avail. “What are you hiding from me,” she muttered while deciding upon another stack to dig through. While shuffling through pile after pile of useless information Jane landed upon a stack that she moved to the right, “well I’ll be damned.” A small safe built into the floor. previously concealed by the stack, waited for her. She grabbed a Bobby pin from her hair and a screwdriver from a toolbox conveniently placed on a shelf nearby. She played the screwdriver in the lock and jerked the Bobby pin around until she it the sweet spot. “Yes,” she whispered as she creaked the door open. Inside contained several files perfectly kept inside a Manila folder. When she reached for the folder and took it, a golden lighter fell from it as she held it. Jane picked up the lighter, a closer inspection revealed an engraving. The lighter fell from her hands as she began to tremble. How the hell could it be here? What was Maxson hiding from her?

She quickly set down the file and read the title. The Institute: Shaun Abott. Jane’s heart dropped to her chest. Her shaky hands were quickly hungry for more information as she opened the folder. Maybe she was overthinking things, maybe Maxson wasn’t involved. Why the fuck wouldn’t he be involved? What does he know about my son? She peered down and read the first paragraph. 

“We’ve been working strenuously throughout the Commonwealth in search of Knight Abott’s son, Shaun Abott. As of now his location is still unknown, but more information is soon to follow.” She looked at who did the report. Scribe Haylen. Wait Haylen was searching for her son this whole time? Why didn’t she tell her? Jane looked on further.

Report accepted and received by: Arthur Maxson

What the fuck? Maxson was involved after all and didn’t tell her! She quickly read through the short reports that all came in from the scouts, all approved by Arthur Maxson. She began to tremble as she began a passage nearing the end of the papers. 

“Whispers have been heard around the Commonwealth about Shaun Abott being taken by Kellogg. It is well known that Kellogg works for the Institute. Kellogg was seen in Diamond City before fleeing after a month, scouts saw him leave and the boy remain. A man went inside. After days of recon, further inspection of the house revealed the boy gone. Shaun Abott has been confirmed to be in the Institute. Mission complete.”

Jane’s heart sank as tears began filling her eyes. 

Signed and approved by: Arthur Maxson

Maxson has known where her baby is for, she checked the date, two months. She couldn’t hold back the hurt in her chest. Tears were now streaming from her eyes as she read the last paragraph. 

“While traveling through to the Med-Tek Research Facility a golden lighter was found on the corpse of a ghoul. The lighter was engraved N. Abott. The lighter has been confiscated and will be given to Elder Maxson for inspection.” 

Approved and signed by: Paladin Danse.

Her whole body was now shaking. Danse has found the lighter she had dropped during the plane ride, taking it back to Maxson. She didn’t even know who she was working with anymore. Who she was sleeping with? Jane shut the folder and glanced up to see the last item in the safe. It was a small wooden box. She reached for it, then wiped her eyes to see more clearly. Her heart was now in her stomach, pain seared in her nerves across her body. She opened the box and inside was a piece of cloth, concealing something small. The inside lid was engraved Amelia Maxson. Her trembling fingers reached inside the box and took the piece of cloth, opening it to find a ring. It was petite and golden, with a single diamond. Jane didn’t think her heart could sink any lower, but it did. It felt like it shattered into a million pieces on the metal ground. 

He was going to ask her to marry him.

It had to be it, there was no other answer. With the information she just learned, she didn’t know who he was anymore. Maxson had located her son, had been searching for him for months. And she didn’t know a damn thing. For two fucking months he knew where her son was and didn’t tell her anything. Jane thought that they were equal, that he didn’t want to play this fucking power game anymore. What other reason to keep this information from her than to have something over her. Something he can use to defeat her, make her subordinate and follow his rules. They were not equal. She had never been more wrong. Her body ached, her heart burned a hole in her chest, so many hurt emotions flooded with her. If the walls collapsed within she wouldn’t mind. Her whole world had just done the same. In this moment, she had never felt so alone in the Commonwealth. 

——————————————————————

 

It was midday when Danse arrived at the Prydwen. While walking back he spent most of his time thinking about Jane. If he was being honest with himself he spent so much time thinking about Jane it was almost like a recurring nightmare. Sometimes he’d see her face and beautiful smile, sometimes he’d feel her hungry kisses, but only for a moment. Jane always had her way of slipping into his thoughts even when she wasn’t around. She was so careless and free, nothing like Danse, untouched by the horrors of what the Commonwealth held. 

“What do you think of synths?” Jane asked as she peered over his shoulder while he was repairing his armor. 

“Hmm”, he asked as he turned another screw, almost mechanical now from how many times he’d done it. He was in autopilot mode as he found the second screw. 

“Synths. Do you really think they are so wrong?” Jane’s question and tone forced Danse out of his trance like work and to turn around and see her face. She seemed genuinely concerned as her brows furrowed and her hands sat firmly on her hips. What an odd question. 

“Yes, the synths are abominations that threaten our very existence. Machines should never be that advanced, it’s dangerous,” Danse said bluntly as her face darkened. “Are you having doubts Jane?” She shook her head and seemed disappointed in his answer, like she expected more from the heavily ingrained Brotherhood Paladin. 

“No, of course not,” she said as she smiled slightly, out of politeness, then returned to matinence on her own set of armor. 

Jane always seemed sympathetic to those the Brotherhood opposes, he knew it from the conversation that day, and because he knew Jane. She always looked at him like he was more, treated him like he was more. Maybe that’s what drew him in so much, so much more than any other girl he’d even seen. When Jane locked her eyes onto his, Danse was no longer a soldier, but a man. A man at the feet of a beautiful girl. He couldn’t help but wonder what life would have been like had she never gotten involved with Maxson. Instead she would have chosen Danse. He knew for a fact he would never treat her like property, like he felt Maxson did. Danse would never admit it, but this past year of Maxson hurting Jane and her coming to Danse for help hurt him more than it hurt Jane. 

“Admit it.”

“Admit what?” 

“Admit that you love me Danse,” Jane giggled as she wobbled on her feet trying to maintain balance.

“Only if you admit you’ll never win a drinking contest against me Abott,” Danse smirked as he downed another shot. This was one in a few nights he let loose. Jane had convinced him to have a few drinks on his day off, which turned into a competition. Of course.

“I love you Danse,” she smiled warmly as she swayed back and forth. She leaned a bit far to her left and Danse caught her. She placed her delicate hand on the side of his face, slightly rubbing against his scruff. She moved her fingers up to his hair and brushed the strands that fell out of place. He was transfixed. Her light body in his arms, her warm heart beating against his chest. Her eyes staring intently at his, her lips made into a simple, warming smile. The smell of alcohol lingering in the space between them. Danse loved her, with every piece inside him. Even though the rational side screamed at him to come to reason. Jane leaned in very close, leaving little space between the two. Her smell even more intoxicating than before. 

“Kiss me,” she said as she closed her eyes and leaned in. This was the moment, the moment he had wanted to do for so long. The girl who always held her own in a fight and watched his back fiercely. The girl he’d always been forced to watch, but could never have. He leaned into her and pressed his lips ever so slightly against hers. Jane opened her eyes and smiled bright at Danse. She moved both of her hands on his cheeks and kissed him again. They moved in rhythm, each kiss meaning more than the last. It wasn’t fast and rushed, it was slow. Jane pulled away and giggled. She brushed her hand through his hair one more time as his hands sat patiently at her sides. At her mercy. His lips feeling the ghosts of hers. “Thank you,” she said softly. He nodded and she wrapped her arms around his body, she almost melted into his arms. He held her close as the same warm air filled both their souls. She released her hold and gave him a final smile, “I won’t tell if you don’t,” she whispered as she waved and made her way back to her bunk. Danse didn’t know what to feel or what to think. Although slow, the moment happened like lighting. Her words “I won’t tell if you don’t.” Did the kiss mean as much to her as it did to him? He would never ask and she would never tell. 

Danse has wished she hadn’t used those words. He wished she would have wanted more with Danse, he admitted it to himself that night. He loved Jane Abott. That’s why it hurt so much to think how he had let her down, how he wasn’t good enough to save her or even find her. She was his partner, he loved her and couldn’t even save her. Wherever she was, enslaved, alone, afraid, beaten, or his worst fear dead it was his fault. The realization hurt him more than any bullet.

He waved as the guards opened the gates for Danse and he made his way over to the vertibird to take him up. The bird was as busy as ever, people pushing past him and several orders being barked out. Home. He headed down to Ingram as he stepped out of his hulking set of armor for her to inspect. “You know I can do my own repairs,” Danse laughed as Ingram inspected the armor. 

“I know all too well how interested in power armor you are Paladin Danse,” she laughed back while lifting one of the large metallic arms. There was silence between the two as she continued looking at the armor before stopping and looking at Danse. “So you’ve been gone for awhile, where have you been?” She asked. 

“I was out looking for Initiate Abott,” Danse said as he changed his gaze from Ingram to the floor. 

“How far did you get? Cause I’m pretty sure she’s on the command deck,” Ingram joked as she stood back up and dusted the rust off her hands. 

“Abott is lost in the Commonwealth, we couldn’t find her. I couldn’t find her,” he said as his words were filled with pain. His eyes remained transfixed on the floor, the guilt seemed too much to meet her gaze. 

“Are you sure? I’m pretty positive I saw her like an hour ago,” said Ingram. She she seemed confused as Danse shifted his gaze to meet her. What? Jane was here? 

“That’s impossible, Maxson would’ve notified me that she was here.” Unless he wouldn’t. This is exactly what Maxson wanted; Jane all to himself. 

“How long has she been here?” Said Danse as anger began to fill his words. All he could see was red. The emotions made his thoughts irrational and more filled with hatred. How many days had he spent in the blistering, unforgiving Commonwealth in search of her. How many bullets, claws, and bites has he taken in the name of the girl he loved who was safe all along with another guy. He came to when he saw Ingram's concerned face, “like a week I think?” Ingram said uneasily, but before she could say more Danse was gone, pushing past her towards the command deck. Fucking Maxson. 

——————————————————————

The blade across his face, cut the few hairs that made him look weak. Something so brutal that could make him bleed if he wasn’t precise. Maxson placed the razor on his sink and splashed water on his face. This past week for Maxson had been like heaven. Jane was finally his, they were making the final assault on the railroad and leads were all lining up to where the institute was located. Secretly Maxson had been following leads, using his knowledge and resources to track down all that opposed the brotherhood meanwhile keeping the girl he loved close by. The moment he had been waiting for seemed so close he could almost taste it. For weeks he had been planning when to pop the question, when to finally make Jane his bride.

“Here, take it,” said Jonathan Maxson as he placed a small wooden box engraved Amelia Maxson. “You’ll know when to use it.”

Maxson had placed the box in his personal safe, cleverly hidden amongst the common reports. No one would suspect his once Achilles heel to be amongst common reports. He had been planning on when to ask her and her reaction. She admitted to his face she loved him, what else could she say but yes? Still, the fear of rejection caused him to hesitate asking her. The moment he had always secretly been waiting for, the girl who could change him. The girl who would wait for his heart to work. His younger years of ruthless, meaning less sex was nothing compared to one night getting to hold Jane Abott. He wanted to feel with her, he wanted to grow old with her. Maxson had never had these thoughts, but as he looked intently at his reflection in the mirror he had never been so sure of his next move.


End file.
